2A Prep Volleyball: Strong net play powers Woodland to pigtail sweep

Playoff Path —Beavers get the best of Black Hills in District play-in game

Woodland’s Jenna Starr (12) celebrates with a teammate following a point scored in a sweep at Black Hills in a District IV volleyball pigtail match, Tuesday, Nov. 5, in Tumwater. — Zach Martin, The Chronicle

By Zach Martin / The Chronicle

TUMWATER  — Errors have been privy to the Woodland High School volleyball team. In the majority of their setbacks this season, the Beavers have suffered a plethora of miscues.

One match featured 19 missed serves. Even when errors came up in the third set on Tuesday night, Woodland didn't let Black Hills think about a reverse sweep.

And solidified more time on its home floor this week in the process.

Powerful blocking from sixth-seeded Woodland and early runs in the opening two sets was enough for it to come away with a 25-15, 25-16, 27-25 sweep over the third-seeded Wolves in a Class 2A District IV pigtail match on Tuesday night at A.G. West/Black Hills High School in Tumwater.

Woodland volleyball players come together to celebrate after winning a set during a sweep at Black Hills, Tuesday, Nov. 5, in a District pigtail match in Tumwater. — Zach Martin / The Chronicle

With W.F. West falling to R.A. Long also in three sets in the other pigtail contest, the only local Evergreen Conference team remaining into the double elimination part of the bracket is top-seeded Tumwater.

And the Beavers, this year’s district tournament host, get at bare minimum two more games on their home gym.

“It would be very embarrassing not to be playing at our home District,” Woodland head coach Kendall Rohrer said. “I thought today was great.”

Rohrer admitted afterwards that blocking has been a rollercoaster this season. Woodland (6-11) consistently stuffed Black Hills’ attacks from the middle and the outside.

Woodland’s Savannah Doughty tips the volleyball over a Black Hills defender while teammate Ava Johnson (4) watches on during a District IV pigtail match at Black Hills, Tuesday, Nov. 5. The Beavers swept the Wolves and will advance to play Columbia River. — Zach Martin / The Chronicle

Whether it was solo or a duo, the Beavers were on time more often and disrupted the Wolves. Chiara Capezio paced Black Hills with seven kills and Worthen added six.

Middles Ella Goheen and Ellie Johnson were held to a combined seven kills in the loss.

“They did a great job all the way around,” Dunn said. “They did a few things different than we thought, but it was a great match.”

It was a 7-1 outburst in the first set that Woodland used to coast to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five. A 7-0 spree early and a 5-1 run late kept it ahead in the second despite a push from Black Hills.