1A Prep Volleyball: Kalama’s Cinderella ride turns into a pumpkin at State

Fightin' Fish: Chinooks won’t let losses define storybook season

Kalama’s Taylor Hoggatt gets low to start the Chinooks’ offense with a pinpoint pass during a match at the 1A State Volleyball Tournament, Friday, Nov. 15, at the Yakima SunDome. — Candy Durgeloh / Durgeloh Photography

Jordan Nailon / blastzonenews@gmail.com

The Kalama Chinooks weren’t even supposed to be in Yakima. As newcomers to the 1A ranks the ‘Nooks were supposed to take their lumps and learn some lessons this season. They were supposed to be quiet observers, not noise makers.

And that’s nearly the way it went, except somebody forgot to tell Kalama they weren’t contenders. So when the ‘Nooks lost both of their matches at the 1A State Volleyball Tournament at the Yakima SunDome on Friday, it was unfortunate punctuation on a story of promise and possibility rather than the final chapter in a tale of disappointment.

To understand the end a reader must be familiar with the beginning and the various plot points along the way. 

We can remember a five-set loss at home to Castle Rock early in the regular season and a short skid in the standings immediately thereafter. But we can also remember the final day of the regular season when the ‘Nooks exacted revenge on the Rockets in order to claim the final playoff spot out of the 1A Trico League. And after a loss dropped Kalama into the dark side of the bracket at the district tournament, they responded with back-to-back upset wins over No. 2 seeded Hoquiam and No. 1 ranked Montesano to punch their nearly inconceivable ticket to State.

Kalama’s Ady Davenport makes a play on the ball near the net during a state tournament volleyball match, Friday, Nov. 15, at the Yakima SunDome. — Candy Durgeloh / Durgeloh Photography

“First of all, our league is so tough. I think it kind of shows their resilience to see where we were at midseason and then just to get through Districts,” Kalama coach Rebecca Clark said. “All and all, we walked out of there proud.”