Lady Brave net team drives toward State playoffs

Having already survived a rough road, the La Conner High volleyball team drives to Adna tonight for a key District net match with Napavine.

Lady Braves head coach Suzanne Marble sees the long sojourn as merely another business trip for a 17-1 club looking to punch its ticket to Yakima and the State 2B Tournament next week.

These Lady Braves, after all, are truly road warriors.

They barely had time to savor twin NW2B league and tourney titles, plus the selection of senior captain Emma Christianson as a WIAA Athlete of the Week, before being sent 200 miles to Toutle Lake for their District opener.

Again, no complaints, says Marble.

“The travel,” she insists, “is great preparation for the State Tournament.”

Still, the Lady Braves had to fasten their seat belts for a bumpy five-set District clash with defending State runner-up Toutle Lake on Saturday.

Trailing 2-1, La Conner came back to win the final two sets and clinch the match, thanks to what Marble called a “total team effort.”

“That,” she said, “was true whether you were on the court or on the bench. This team really stepped up and took care of the ball and battled through.”

Fittingly, Christianson played a leading role.

She notched 16 kills, 26 digs, and a pair of blocks while placing all 20 of her service attempts, three of which went for aces.

Christianson, of course, had likewise filled the stat sheet earlier in the week when La Conner bested NW2B rivals Darrington, Orcas, Mount Vernon Christian, and Concrete.

While Darrington had pushed La Conner to five sets in the NW2B tourney title round, there was even more tension apparent under similar conditions opposite Toutle Lake.

“They are the team that swept us in three (sets) at State last year,” Marble noted. “They’ve been ranked second in State all season in the Top Ten Coaches Poll, so it was a great win for us to go to their home court and beat them in five.”

La Conner captured the first set 25-16, then dropped the second and third sessions 24-26 and 18-25, respectively.

The Lady Braves, with their backs to the wall, answered with a gritty 25-23 triumph in the fourth set.

La Conner went on to claim the decisive fifth set, again by a narrow two-point margin, 15-13.

Olivia Hedlund led the Lady Braves’ attack with 33 assists and three kills.

Kamea Luna enjoyed a post-Halloween monster match with 15 kills, 10 digs, and two aces.

Defensively, the Henriksen twins combined for 45 digs, 27 recorded by Nicole. Heather was flawless on 17 serves to go along with her 18 digs. She also delivered a pair of aces.

Aubrey Swigert chipped in seven kills, while LeAnne Swan added three scoring spikes and a service ace.

“I was so proud of the way my girls battled back after being down two sets to one to win sets four and five,” Marble said afterward. “Our practice preparation really paid off with how we practice the fifth set scenario.”

There had been less drama, but equally satisfying results for La Conner in its District opener with Raymond.

The Lady Braves swept that match, one Marble termed “a great warm-up” for Toutle Lake.

Depth, again, was a prime factor for La Conner.

Hedlund finished with 26 assists, a dozen digs, and was 10-of-10 behind the stripe, serving