Riding the state tournament success of last fall and strong showings last weekend at the SunDome Volleyball Festival, several area teams were rewarded Wednesday night with the release of the first Washington State Volleyball Coaches Association state rankings of the season.
Eight area teams are in the top 10s , with Cashmere being ranked No. 1 for the first time in program history.
The Bulldogs top the Class 1A poll, just ahead of six-time defending champion Chelan.
Cashmere repeated as the small-school champion at the SunDome Festival last Friday, without dropping a set along the way, and defeating 2025 Class 1A state runner-up Meridian in the championship match.
In 12 sets, the Bulldogs – who finished third at last year’s state tournament – gave up more than 15 points once.
Fellow SCAC member Connell checks in at eighth.
Wenatchee, which won its pool in Saturday’s big-school event, is fifth in the 4A poll. The Panthers defeated CBBN rival Davis to advance to the semifinals. The Pirates are ranked No. 7.
Defending MCC champion Kamiakin, which gave defending 2A champion and eventual Festival winner Lynden all the Lions could handle in pool play, won the No. 2 seeds bracket on Saturday, and is tied with defending state champion Lake Stevens, Camas and Hazen for eighth in the poll.
Ellensburg, which finished second in the last two state tournaments, is second in the 2A rankings alongside Archbishop Murphy. Lynden, led by reigning 2A Player of the Year Finley Parcher is No. 1.
At the Festival, the Bulldogs nearly took the first set of its match with 2024 3A champ and Festival runner-up Ridgeline.
Prosser and Selah are tied for eighth.
All of the ranked teams, save for Connell, played at the Festival.
The event gives the teams something no other sports gets – a chance to play where the state tournament is played.
While some teams are able to play at state venues on a regular occasion – particularly in the individual sports (golf, tennis, track and field) – no event offers its participants the chance to play in the venue where the state tournaments are held.
And against many of the teams they’ll see come mid-November.
With the SCAC already into its conference schedule, and the three other conferences soon to fire up league play, here’s a breakdown of the conferences, along with the top returners in each conference:
CONFERENCE OVERVIEWS
CBBN: WENATCHEE, which was third at state for the second straight year after winning the 2024 state championship, has won five straight conference championships, and will have a few holes to fill after graduation but have first-team all-CBBN pick Jurney Jelsing (setter) and second-teamers Kate Berry (libero) and Soraya Jensen (outside hitter) to lead the way. … DAVIS has won the last two state basketball championships, and several of those players will try to lead the Pirates to their third straight state tournament under first-year coach Michelle Howard. Hitters Paige Gasseling, Cheyenne Hull (headed to Oregon for basketball) will be fed by setter Isa Garcia. All three were second-team all-CBBN a year ago. … WEST VALLEY was third in the conference a year, followed by MOSES LAKE and EASTMONT, which welcomed new coach Matthew Overton this fall.
Returning all-leaguers
First Team – Libero: Katie Strong, West Valley, sr. Outside hitter: Kristen Leaverton, West Valley, sr. Setter: Grayce Morris, Sunnyside, sr.; Jurney Jelsing, Wenatchee, sr.
Second Team – Libero: Ellie Gale, Eastmont, sr.; Kate Berry, Wenatchee, jr. Middle hitter: Paige Gasseling, Davis, sr. Outside hitter: Cheyenne Hull, Davis, sr.; Abbie Gale, Eastmont, sr.; Catalina Armijo, Eisenhower, sr.; Soraya Jensen, Wenatchee, jr. Setter: Isa Garcia, Davis, sr.; Cheyenne Phillips, Eisenhower, sr.
Honorable Mention – Libero: Brisa Garfias, Davis, sr. Outside hitter: Madison Witwer, Moses Lake, sr.; Kaeleigh Trekenschuh, West Valley, sr. Setter: Makenna Bennett, Eastmont, sr.
MCC: KAMIAKIN swept through conference play a year ago, and returns hitters Delaney Donaldson and Alexa Bilodeau among others to help the Braves better their state showing after finishing one match short of the trophy round. … RICHLAND finished second in the conference standings, and have hitters Cara Harrington and Alaina Cron back to lead the charge toward their first state berth since 2022. … KENNEWICK and HERMISTON topped the 3A schools, tying for third place in conference play. The Lions, who have first-team setter Callie Stemp and second-team Mallory Raines, made the 2024 state tournament, but the 3As were shutout of a November trip to the SunDome.
Returning all-leaguers
First team -- Middle hitter: Delaney Donaldson, Kamiakin, sr.; Alexa Bilodeau, Kamiakin, sr. Setter: Callie Stemp, Kennewick, sr.
Second Team – Middle hitter: Taycee Clayton, Southridge, jr. Outside hitter: Cara Harrington, Richland, sr. Setter: Monroe McCaw, Walla Walla, sr.; Molly Bacon, Hermiston, jr. Libero/DS: Mallory Raines, Kennewick, sr.
Honorable Mention – Middle hitter: Brooklin Bacon, Hermiston, sr. Middle hitter: Alaina Cron, Richland, sr. Setter: Sawyer Dolven, Kamiakin, sr. Libero/DS: Avery Beck, Kamiakin, sr.; Anza Bealey, Walla Walla, sr.
CWAC: ELLENSBURG has finished second in the state tournament for the last two years, but graduated seven players from last year’s squad. Hadley Potts, a 6-foot-2 hitter, is back as the Bulldogs reload looking for another run at the state tournament. … PROSSER took second place in the conference standings but fell short of its first state berth since 2018. Herbie Wright, who has committed to play basketball at Eastern Washington, is the lone first-team selection back league wide, and she will team up with Rebekah Den Hoed and Mickey Wright to top the lineup. … Conference MVP Madilynn Shurtleff was one of seven seniors on last year’s SELAH roster, but the Vikings have deep tradition, and with first-teamer Elliott McLaughlin back, figure to contend for a return trip to the state tournament,
Returning all-leaguers
First team – Herbie Wright, sr., Prosser.
Second team – Rebekah Den Hoed, jr., Prosser; Elliott Mclaughlin, sr., Selah; Hadley Potts, sr., Ellensburg.
Honorable mention – Rylie Carter, sr., Toppenish; Madison Thomas, sr., Grandview; Mickey Wright, so., Prosser.
SCAC: CASHMERE has established itself as one of the top programs in 1A, and pushed six-time defending state champion Chelan to a fifth set in last year’s state tournament, and is led by a class of six seniors, topped by Western Washington-bound Macie Smart, the two-time conference of the year. Fellow first-teamers Cali Diaz and Taylor Kunz, and Seattle Pacific commit Mandy Barba, a libero, help give the Bulldogs a deep attack. … ZILLAH last fall missed out on a third straight trip to state, but returners Kaylyn Nash (libero) and Bella Valadez (hitter) are back. … CONNELL was third in conference play a season ago and will try to reach its first state tournament since 2022, while fourth-place WAPATO looks for a state breakthrough.
Returning all-leaguers
First team – Outside hitter: Brook Alvarado, Wapato, jr.; Marli Curtis, Connell, jr.; Ava Long, College Place, sr.; Macie Smart, Cashmere, sr. Setter: Cali Diaz, Cashmere, sr. Middle hitter/outside hitter: Taylor Kunz, Cashmere, sr. Libero: Kaylyn Nash, Zillah, sr.
Second team – Outside hitter: Bella Valadez, Zillah, jr. Middle hitter: Graysie Kast, Royal, sr.; Makenna Klitzke, Zillah, sr. Setter: Nadia Holt, Connell, jr. Libero: Mandy Barba, Cashmere, sr.; Daisy Rivas, College Place, sr.
Third team – Outside hitter: Teagan Kerns, Cashmere, sr.; Layla Tonn, College Place, sr. Middle hitter: Joanna Wilson, Kiona-Benton, jr. Setter: Jordyn Bobb, Wapato, jr.; Alexis Hatley, Naches Valley, sr.; Vikki Walle, Zillah, jr. Libero: Danica Wetzel, Connell, jr.
