Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
32 teams competed on Sept. 18
Eagles Olivia Kjack and Ashlynn Archer go up for a block in the SunDome Volleyball Festival.
YAKIMA - Fifth place is a good finish when playing against 31 teams in the SunDome Volleyball Festival.
The two days of volleyball tournaments as 80 teams split between the days of Sept. 18-19 in Yakima. The first day was 32 1B, 2B, and 1A league teams competing. The Oakesdale Nighthawks won.
St. John-Endicott-LaCrosse (SJEL) Eagles moved from pool play with three teams to lose in the first round of bracket play, but their coach was thrilled at how the players composed themselves and played during their first time at the festival.
"It was the best volleyball I've ever seen our program play," said Coach Jennifer Johnson. "It was beautiful."
Senior Ashleynn Archer stood out during the day-long tournament. She committed to play volleyball at Sacramento State after she graduates.
"Every team we played asked who she is and who she is going to play for," said Johnson. "She's one of a kind. She's an all-around perfect athlete. The one everyone wants on their team."
In pool play, SJEL beat Charles Wright (25-22, 25-21), Naches Valley (25-9, 25-15), and Davis JV (25-3, 25-10)
In the quarter-finals, the Eagles lost to Annie Wright Schools, of Tacoma, (25-23, 25-25, 15-10), which moved them into the consolidation bracket where they defeated College Place (27-25, 25-14).
"The playing time is worth it. The competition is worth it," said Johnson. "They played as a cohesive unit. It's a joy to come to work every day with this team."
Bill Stevenson is the former editor of the Whitman County Gazette, Colfax Daily Bulletin and Franklin Connection. He has nearly 30 years of journalism experience covering news in Eastern Washington.
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