Lake City battles to two victories on first day

5A

NAMPA — They hadn’t been pushed all season, dropping just three sets in 30 matches prior to state.

But when Lake City was pushed Friday on the first day of the state 5A volleyball tournament at Ridgevue High, the Timberwolves pushed back.

Lake City, which had not played a five-set match all year, beat Rocky Mountain of Meridian 22-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-22, 15-12 and Timberline of Boise 25-19, 22-25, 25-19, 18-25, 15-10 to advance to the semifinal today.

“Not playing any five-set matches all year, and then playing back-to-back five setters in one day, is pretty incredible,” Lake City coach Mike Summers said. “When you’re not used to playing five-set matches, it takes some will to win. Hopefully we can settle down and get back to playing how we’re used to playing.”

The Timberwolves (31-1) will play Madison (37-4) of Rexburg today at 10 a.m. PDT in the semifinal match, with the winner advancing to the championship match at 3 p.m., and the loser having to win a match to make it back to the title round.

A combination of state title expectations and state tourney nerves helped put Lake City in a 2-0 hole vs. Rocky Mountain before the Timberwolves rallied.

“We weren’t passing very well at all the first two sets, for whatever reason,” Summers said. “Obviously the girls found the desire and heart within, and starting getting a little more in-system, and found a way to scrap one out. We were just trying to get them to settle down and relax; we couldn’t do anything until we could pass. Basically the last three sets were grinding it out.”

Janae Rayborn had 20 kills, Ashley Kaufman 15 for Lake City. Klaire Mitchell had 39 assists and 23 digs, Tanai Jenkins seven blocks, Reilley Chapman 26 digs and one ace, Alexis Keylon one ace.

“Without Janae in that first match, it might have been a different story,” Summers said. “She came up big.”

Lake City’s match with Timberline was back and fourth, and “I think it came down to who had the legs in the fifth set,” Summers said. “It was quite a match.”

Kaufman had 25 kills for the Timberwolves, Rayborn added 17 kills and five aces, Mitchell 45 assists and 29 digs, Chapman 20 digs, Jenkins and Claire Heberer three blocks each, Keylon three aces.

Lake City beat Madison twice last year at state, the second time in the third-place match.

Coeur d’Alene went 1-2 on Friday and finished tied for fifth.

The Vikings lost to Skyview of Nampa 25-20, 25-9, 25-16, beat Boise 25-16, 23-25, 25-16, 25-19 and then were eliminated by Timberline 22-25, 25-11, 25-19, 25-21.

“I thought we came down and battled,” said Coeur d’Alene coach Carly Curtis, whose team was making its first state appearance since 2015. “I was proud of my girls. We made some young errors, but they left it all on the floor.”

Kelly Horning, the lone Viking with previous state experience, totaled 38 kills and six blocks on the day. Lauren Phillips added 51 assists, 21 kills and five aces, Taylin Rowley had 41 assists and 21 digs, Sarah Wilkey 22 kills, 30 digs and six aces, Liliana Hare five blocks.

Coeur d’Alene finished 19-11.

“We were nervous; we were excited,” Curtis said. “We were in every match. I felt like we did a lot of good things.”

3A

MERIDIAN — After winning its first match Friday, Timberlake dropped its next two to bow out with a tied for fifth place finish at the state 3A tourney at Mountain View High.

Timberlake beat Gooding 3-2, then lost to Filer 25-19, 26-24, 25-10 and then was eliminated by Parma 25-21, 19-25, 25-22, 22-25, 15-8.

Timberlake finished 25-11.

No other information was available.