STATE VOLLEYBALL: Along with Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene also has state title hopes

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

One team entered the season having brought home trophies from the past two state tournaments.

And with most of those players back — including their Division I-bound setter — the Post Falls Trojans had an openly stated goal of winning the first state title in program history.

The other team came in a little bit under the radar, having not qualified for the past two state tourneys.

But with all but one starter back, the Coeur d’Alene Vikings were quietly confident they, too, could make some noise in 5A Inland Empire League volleyball.

When they met in league play, Post Falls won in four sets in early September at The Arena.

The Trojans led the IEL until four weeks later, when Coeur d’Alene made a statement with a three-set sweep on its home court.

“It was kind of a gut check,” Post Falls senior setter/right side hitter Kylie Munday said of that loss. “And it put us back in our place, made us realize that we need to work, and do the extra things to make the long run more beneficial for us.”

That sweep ended up giving the Vikings the top seed to the Region 1 tournament, and two weeks later, Coeur d’Alene outlasted the Trojans 15-13 in the fifth set to earn the region’s automatic berth to state.

“We just said let’s not listen to the outside noise, let’s listen to our hearts, and get out there and win,” Coeur d’Alene coach Carly Curtis said. “All we said is worry about our side, play our game, and things will happen.”

Post Falls bounced back later last week to win a loser-out match, then a state play-in match in Grangeville.

So here they are, the second-seeded Coeur d’Alene Vikings (21-5) and third-seeded Post Falls Trojans (30-6), both with high hopes — as well as home-region advantage — when the state 5A tournament unfolds Friday and Saturday at Lake City High.

Coeur d’Alene opens Friday at 9 a.m. vs. No. 7 seed Rocky Mountain (22-10) of Meridian. Post Falls plays at 11 a.m. vs. No. 6 Timberline (27-9) of Boise, which ousted the Trojans in the third-place match at state last year, before losing in the championship to Madison (25-5) of Rexburg, this year’s No. 1 seed.

Post Falls beat Timberline in the first round last year, when both were seeded exactly as they are this year.

The championship match in the double-elimination tournament is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m.

Coeur d’Alene

None of the seven seniors on the current Viking squad — middle blockers Gia Janke and Olivia Naccarato, setter Bailey Jaworski, middle/right side hitter Kiley Hart, outside hitter Maddie Mitchell, defensive specialist Alexa Stavrosand right side hitter Angela Maiani — were on the varsity in 2020, when Coeur d’Alene finished third.

All were on the junior varsity that year.

Janke, Naccarato, Mitchell and Stavros were on the varsity in 2021, when Coeur d’Alene lost to Post Falls for the regional title, then fell to Lake City two days later in a loser-out match.

Last year, the Vikings also lost in the second-place match at regionals, also to Lake City.

“That lit a little fire under our butts,” Jaworski said of last year’s finish.

“That was kind of our big talk (before last week’s regional title match),” Naccarato said. “This is our last chance.”

So the Vikings worked in the offseason on building relationships and chemistry, and the result was a regional title.

“I think our work ethic was just amazing from the beginning of the season to the end,” Janke said. “We just push through the entire time, and I’m really proud of us for that.”

Aside from the intangibles, the Vikings have loads of offensive weapons — Janke and Naccarato in the middle, Hart and sophomore Gianna Callari as middle blocker/right side hitters, Mitchell and junior Paisley Goings as outside hitters, Maiani on the right side.

The other two juniors also play key roles — Lizzy Hardy, the other setter in a 6-2 offense; and Gracie Legg, the libero.

Naccarato has been playing with patella tendinitis in her right knee since last June.

“I commend her for her spirit,” said Curtis, in her 13th year coaching at her alma mater, and sixth season in her second stint. “She has a knee injury that’s going to take time off to heal.”

“I’ve been managing it with physical therapy, icing after practice, lots of ibuprofen,” Naccarato said. “I don’t think there’s anything that could have kept me off the court tonight (in the regional final). Regardless of any injury; I would have wanted to be out there.”

Jaworski’s mom, the former Keri Schwenke, and her aunt, the former Ann Schwenke, both starred at Coeur d’Alene in the 1980s.

“I have a lot of pride in my family,” Bailey said, “and I love them with all my heart. So it lights a little fire in my butt to keep working hard, and show them I’m a Jaworski.”

Coeur d’Alene finished second to Idaho Falls in 2014 under coach Dee Pottenger. It was the program’s best finish at state since the Vikings won their only state title in 1987, under coach Kent Scanlon. Ann (Schwenke) Jaworski was a senior on that team.

Coeur d’Alene faced three teams at the Madison tournament this year that wound up at state. The Vikings beat Thunder Ridge (the No. 8 seed), and lost to No. 5 Owyhee and Timberline.

Post Falls

After placing fourth at state in 2021, the Trojans reached the semifinal match last year, but lost twice on Saturday (to Madison and to Timberline) and finished fourth.

Two years ago, Post Falls played three draining matches on the first day, then was eliminated the following morning.

“There’s potential to play a lot of matches on the first day,” said Hanna, in her 13th season as coach, and fourth in her second stint. “Just the physical demands of three out of five, and the emotional demands. I think the more experience kids have with that, the better their next visit is.”

Of the five seniors, Munday is a four-year starter. Jenna Sarff (right side/outside hitter) was a sophomore on the 2021 squad, and junior Trinity Byrne was a freshman on that team two years ago.

Seniors Maleah Wilhelm and Sam Anderson (middle blockers) and defensive specialist Maddie Brazee joined the varsity last year.

Among the younger players who have played key roles this year are juniors Vanessa Kison (outside hitter), Danielle Codd (DS), Kaela Gump (middle blocker) and Lexi Norisada (DS), and freshman Lucy Carr, the other setter in Post Falls’ 6-2 offense.

“After we won the (play-in) match on Saturday, the kids had some relief, and some pure excitement and joy … I think we’re all just thankful,” Hanna said. “And we set some lofty goals at the beginning of the year for our team. So yeah, I certainly think there was some pressure to qualify.”

Post Falls’ best finish at state was second in 2011 to Idaho Falls, during Hanna’s first stint as coach at her alma mater.

This year, the Trojans played split with Rocky Mountain at the Kuna tournament, and beat Owyhee in a tri-match prior to the tourney.

“Obviously those two losses to Coeur d’Alene stung, and I think it just makes the kids hungry,” Hanna said. “We’ve played really well against some really good teams. A little longer road to state is challenging, but helpful too. We’ve faced some adversity in matches, and from each experience we keep learning.”

For most of the year, Hanna said, Eagle was No. 1 in 5A in the MaxPreps rankings. Days before the brackets were announced, Post Falls was fourth, Coeur d’Alene sixth.

“But quite a few schools from the south have their tournament records in MaxPreps, and all of that got adjusted over the weekend,” Hanna said. “I don’t think Coeur d’Alene or us were expecting to be seeded as high, But they took out tournament play, and there was quite a shift over the weekend.”

Many teams entered tournament results on MaxPreps for statting purposes, though tourney results were not supposed to be factored into a team’s ranking because most tournaments do not consist of five-set matches.

Skyview of Nampa, one of the top teams in Idaho over the past decade, played in numerous high-level tournaments this year, and is only a No. 3 seed in 4A.

“It’s a really tough field this year,” Hanna said. “Even with MaxPreps rankings there could be some upsets.”