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The road to a seventh state volleyball championship may well go through Manson.
If so, the Lady Braves will have to bypass the speed bumps they encountered during a two-day Eastern Washington swing last week that saw La Conner drop matches to 2B Manson and 1A Chelan.
The defending state volleyball champions rebounded from those setbacks with a convincing straight-sets home triumph over 2A Squalicum on Friday, Oct. 28. This was the kind of win that bodes well for post-season, which opens tonight, Nov. 2, at Landy James Gym.
On a night when head coach Suzanne Marble cut the ribbon on a section of the gymnasium being named in her honor, the hosts used several different avenues to reach a victory.
La Conner, 13-3 overall and 8-0 in NW2B/1B action, led wire-to-wire in the first and third sets of the Squalicum match and erased an early 6-0 deficit in the second frame to down the Storm 25-19, 25-14, 25-12.
Marble praised her charges for their energy – senior middle blocker Makayla Herrera rocketed one spike that knocked a Squalicum back row defender off her feet – and ability to erase the visitors' second set lead.
"It was a little worrisome when we were down 6-0," Marble said afterward, "but it was great how the kids bounced back."
Junior outside hitter Morgan Huizenga started the rally with a deft tip at the net. Junior setter Abby Udlock followed with a well-timed block at the net.
Squalicum went up 8-2 before the home team responded with an impressive 23-6 run to close out the set. Huizenga keyed the spurt with three kills while Udlock added another block and freshman Maeve McCormick reeled off a string of service points down the stretch.
Senior middle blocker Josie Harper scored on a block that gave the team a 9-8 lead that it did not relinquish.
Senior outside hitter Ellie Marble, a Central Washington University recruit, powered the Lady Braves in the opening and final sets.
The versatile Marble mixed power spikes, blasting two hits completely through attempted blocks, with soft tips that found open court space, setting the tone in the first set.
Marble rang up three kills during a 6-2 spree that became a 12-4 lead in the decisive third set. Herrera got off to a quick start with efficient work at the service stripe.
The Lady Braves took a double-digit lead at 19-9 when Marble delivered a back row kill. La Conner finished with a service ace from Herrera and a match point kill by Marble.
Squalicum joins Anacortes, Sehome, Glacier Peak and Mount Vernon as teams from larger schools that La Conner has defeated in regular season action.
In other fall sports, the boys' soccer team wrapped up the season with a 4-11-1 overall mark and 2-6 conference mark, placing eighth in the league standings.
The girls' soccer team (0-5) finished fourth in the NW2B/1B race.
By Bill Reynolds
La Conner celebrated homecoming a second time Oct. 26.
Two weeks after high school homecoming festivities, the school welcomed alum Aubrie Sloniker and her Skagit Valley College women’s basketball teammates to Landy James Gym for a preseason game with Northwest Indian College.
Sloniker shined in her return to the venue where she was an integral part of multiple girls’ state tournament appearances.
The freshman guard opened SVC’s scoring with a first period bucket that ended a 10-0 NWIC run to start the game. Sloniker later helped ice a 66-59 Cardinals comeback win with a nifty drive and left-handed bank shot with 2:54 to play.
“It was exciting to see Aubrie play here and have success at the next level,” La Conner High School Director of Athletics C.J. Woods told the Weekly News afterward.
Sloniker, a walk-on, is one of two La Conner alumni on the women’s roster.
Sarah Cook, who scored 1,008 points in high school and was selected last spring to play in the Washington State 1B/2B Senior All-State Game, was unable to participate due to her volleyball commitment.
A rare two-sport college athlete, Cook is expected to suit up for the Lady Cards hoops team later this month.
“Sarah was bummed that she couldn’t be here,” Woods said. “She wanted everyone to know she would’ve been here if she could have.”
Cook was an all-state volleyball player for La Conner’s 2021 state 2B championship team, drawing interest from SVC in both sports.
One Skagit net fan reports that Cook has been “killing it” in volleyball for the Mount Vernon team. Cook delivered nine kills in a triumph at Olympic Community College and recorded 11 digs in a four-set road victory against Whatcom, among other season highlights.
Sloniker, meanwhile, has impressed women’s head basketball coach Deb Castle with her work ethic on the court and in the classroom.
Woods is not surprised.
“It’s really remarkable what she’s done,” said Woods, “and from what I have seen she’ll probably get the chance to play quite a bit for them this year.”
Sloniker joined the point parade on Wednesday and also grabbed a handful of rebounds, played solid defense and passed the ball well, especially in transition.
“I’ve put in a lot of work,” said Sloniker. “Deb has pushed me hard, but it’s been paying off.”
The Skagit Valley College men worked out and held a brief intrasquad scrimmage following the women’s contest. The teams visited Landy James Gym for a fundraiser sponsored by the La Conner Booster Club. All proceeds, Woods noted, went to support La Conner basketball teams.
“We were able to raise just over $1,000,” he said.
The real payoff, though, was Sloniker having the chance to again play in front of her home fans.
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