3A DISTRICT 1 VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: Timber-team effort
Top-seeded Tigers sweep Kellogg to advance to state 3A tournament
SPIRIT LAKE — When volleyball coaches talk about putting together a complete team effort, it didn’t get much better than what Timberlake displayed Wednesday in the 3A District 1 championship match.
There was junior outside hitter Jacquelyn Mallet dominating from the left side to start the match with some of her 10 kills, helping the top-seeded Tigers take an early 17-10 lead in the first game. Following up to her right was middle blocker Gloria Cheevers, another junior and the second-tallest player on the team at 5-foot-8, turning away Kellogg hitters like Intermountain League co-Most Valuable Player Jasmine James with her five blocks.
Throw in a bonus like Shelbee Hester’s eight aces, including three as part of a five-point burst to close the first game and the recipe was a success, as Timberlake swept the Wildcats, 25-16, 25-20, 25-20, advancing to next week’s state 3A volleyball tournament. The Tigers (22-9) will play Friday at a site to be determined in the Coeur d’Alene area.
“It was nice to see everyone step up and do their jobs,” Timberlake coach Michelle Garwood said. “Gloria played the match of her life, Shelbee served the heck out of the ball. Everyone did it at the same time. As a team, our motto is play together, win together.”
Kellogg (5-9), the No. 3 seed in the tournament, will play tonight in the second-place match at No. 2 seed Bonners Ferry, who beat Priest River 25-19, 25-13, 25-22 in a loser-out match at Timberlake. James had 10 kills, but she was part of a one-weapon team as Kaili Cates was next up with three kills.
“We just had to keep our energy up, passing and talking,” Kellogg coach Hollie Yrjana said. “We really struggled with that at times. Any time we can get the ball to Jasmine, it’s a good thing. We just couldn’t get the ball to her enough.”
Hester finished match point with her final ace, after Kellogg tied the game for the first time in the entire match at 18. But James saw two of her booming hits land long, allowing Timberlake to take the lead for good at 19-18.
“Our coach told me to take a deep breath and focus,” Hester said. “It’s amazing to be able to go to state. It was our teamwork, it wasn’t just one player.”
Cheevers also had four kills and IML co-MVP Kenzie Dean had five kills. Mataraca Rocheleau had 24 assists and Mallet 10 digs.
“I mainly wanted to focus on my blocking with their hitters,” Cheevers said. I think this is one of our best matches.”
The same pattern happened in all three games, with Timberlake racing out to a big lead, Kellogg catching up, then the Tigers turned on the afterburners with a mix of hard hits and a few hitting mistakes by the Wildcats. In the first game, James had four kills in a row to help Kellogg trail just 18-15, after it was down 17-10. Timberlake finished off the first game on a 7-1 run.
The second game saw the Tigers take a big 21-10 lead, but Kellogg answered with a 6-0 run to make it 21-16, later it fought off four straight game points, before a double-hit call on the Wildcats gave Timberlake a 2-0 lead.
ALL-INTERMOUNTAIN LEAGUE
Co-MVPs — Kenzie Dean, fr., Timberlake; Jasmine James, sr., Kellogg
Courtney Eaton, sr., Timberlake; Jacquelyn Mallet, jr., Timberlake; Matraca Rocheleau, soph., Timberlake; Marley Chambers, jr., Kellogg; Miranda Wenk, soph., Bonners Ferry; Mallorie Stippich, sr., Bonners Ferry; Catherine Gamma, jr., Priest River; Olivia Witter, soph., Priest River.
Coach of the Year — Michelle Garwood, Timberlake