Finally ready to take flight

4A

The Lakeland High volleyball team has been building for this moment for four seasons.

The Hawks actually thought they were ready last season.

Then came an upset loss to the Moscow Bears in the first round of the 4A Region 1 tournament.

Season over. Again.

“I’ve been thinking about that game for a year,” Lakeland junior outside hitter Daphne Carroll said. “You kinda lose hope sometimes, but this whole entire year, we just worked so hard. everybody does summer weights. morning weights, morning open gym ... we never stopped.”

And all that hard work paid off last week, when the Hawks won the regional championship and qualified for state for the first time since 2005.

“Last year we were all devastated,” said junior right side hitter Katy Ryan, who has verbally committed to Washington State. “But this year it felt so good to overcome what happened last year. That definitely motivated me to work harder.”

Lakeland (17-10) opens state on Friday at 11 a.m. against Wood River of Hailey at Coeur d’Alene High.

In 2016, the Hawks finished with a 13-18 record — which doesn’t seem all that impressive, but it marked the most wins by a Lakeland volleyball team since 2009. Lakeland beat Moscow for its first league win since 2010. And the Hawks advanced to the regional title match before falling to Sandpoint.

In 2017, Lakeland was 13-20, which included its first victory over Sandpoint since 2005.

Then coach Adriano de Souza, a restaurant owner, resigned to devote more time to his restaurant business in the Boise area.

He was replaced by Kelsie Badger, who ......

Last year, the Hawks finished 19-14 — their first winning season since going 15-12 in ’09. But the season ended with a bitter taste following that regional loss to Moscow — a team Lakeland had swept twice in league play.

This year, Lakeland went 4-0 and won the 4A Inland Empire League — the Hawks’ first league title since 2002, when they won the Intermountain League in their second-to-last season in 3A.

The Hawks won the district title that year as well — which would be their last district/regional title until this year.

Though it came in the middle of a rebuild, the change in head coaches couldn’t have gone much shoother.

“I just had trust in her,” Carroll said, “because she was our JV coach, and would help with the varsity games, so we all knew her. We were super excited to have her.”

“Just different coaching styles, so they had to adapt a little bit that way,” Badger said. “But this year, everyone is all in, fully committed.”

“She knows how to get things done,” Ryan said. “She knows how to keep things light, but still make us work hard.”

For all of Lakeland’s experience in recent years, the Hawks are still fairly young. Carroll, Ryan, setter Abbey Neff and libero Olivia Cooper are all juniors, and outside hitter Addisen Kiefer and middle blocker Bethany Johnson, both sophomores, give Lakeland additional hitting options.

“We hit the ball hard, that’s for sure,” said Badger, also praising her team’s defense and blocking.

Bonneville and defending champion Century, volleyball powers for years, are on the other side of the bracket. Century won six straight state titles from 2010-15. Bonneville won state 5A titles in 2016 and ’17, beating Lake City for the title two years ago. All told, between 5A and 4A, Bonneville has won nine state titles since 1991.

The Hawks say they’re not one of those teams that’s just happy to be at state.

“This is what we’ve been wanting to do this whole entire season, and it would just be a shame to throw it all away by just saying (getting to) state’s good enough,” Carroll said. “It’s not good enough.”

5A

Lake City has logged a ton of miles this year preparing for this weekend.

Tournaments in Meridian (Rocky Mountain Classic) and Madison (Battle of the Best), with a handful of teams from this year’s 5A tournament in the field at either one.

Now, those teams are heading north.

The only team the Timberwolves haven’t faced, is their opening-round opponent Eagle.

“I think Madison will be tough,” Lake City coach Mike Summers said. “They’re playing well right now. Skyview is putting some things together and Coeur d’Alene is clicking at the right time. I think we’ll be tough as well.”

Lake City lost in three to Madison, in two against both Boise and Timberline, beat Skyview in three and swept Thunder Ridge. Lake City and Coeur d’Alene split in matches this year, with the Timberwolves winning in five sets on Sept. 17, then Coeur d’Alene winning in three on Oct. 15 and the Vikings sweeping the Region 1 championship match.

“This year, I’m not sure that there’s one sure favorite,” Summers said. “It’s going to come down to which team is performing and playing together at the right time. It’s going to be a lot of games in two days. Hopefully our experience in those tournaments earlier this year will help us.”

Skyview won state 4A titles in 2016 and ’17, and was second to Madison last year, the Hawks’ first in 5A.

Lake City (20-12) faces Eagle (11-6) on Friday at 11 a.m.

“It seemed like we got back on track after a rough 8 to 10 days,” said Summers after beating Post Falls to advance to state. “I’m just happy for the girls to get back on track.”

Coeur d’Alene (23-5), which claimed its first regional title since 2015, opens at state against Timberline High of Boise (13-3). The Wolves finished fourth in the District 3 (Boise area) tournament.

3A

Timberlake (14-14) is back at state for the fifth straight year, albeit with a young squad this time.

“Our season has been up and down,” said Tigers coach Michelle Garwood, who started the Timberlake program in 1998. “At any point in time, we have 2-3 sophomores on the court, two of which are our setters. They are doing a good job, but still in the process of learning a new role. My juniors and seniors have done a wonderful job or helping them and understanding that it is a process and we will get there, and have helped the young players along the way.”

Timberlake opens vs. Sugar-Salem, the 2016 and ’17 champion, Friday at 9 a.m. at Lake City High.

Defending champion Filer is on the other side of the bracket with Kellogg, which is at state for the second straight year but only the fifth time ever, after winning its first district title in school history last week.

2A

With three returning starters — but no seniors on the roster — St. Maries got off to an 0-10 start this season.

“Building year, with no seniors and only a few returning varsity players you have to figure out where the best fit is for the personnel that you have,” fourth-year Lumberjacks coach Rachele Asbury said of the early going. “In the first part of the season we played people in different positions trying to find the best fit ... we had to get some games under our belt for more experience and to build confidence to help minimize our errors.

St. Maries (9-14) comes into state having won nine of its last 14 matches. The Lumberjacks lost to Orofino for the District 1-2 title, but won a play-in match to make it to state after missing out last year.

“When you have so many young players nerves and inexperience comes into play,” Asbury said, “but I am so proud of these girls for sticking with it and pushing hard to improve and get more comfortable on the court.”

St. Maries opens vs. Firth, last year’s state runner-up, Friday at 11 a.m. at Lakeland High. Defending champion Malad is on the other half of the bracket.