The No. 8 seed Central Kitsap Cougars went 2-2 at the 3A state volleyball tournament in Yakima Nov. 21-22, to finish in sixth place.

CK beat the No. 9-seeded Seattle Prep Panthers 3-0 in the first round of the tournament before falling 3-0 to No. 1 seed North Thurston in the quarterfinals. The Cougars then beat No. 5 seed Lakesside 3-1 in the losers’ bracket, but then lost to No. 7 seed Ridgeline 3-0 to be eliminated.

CK vs. Seattle Prep

The Cougars got out to a 6-2 lead in the first set behind strong serves from outside hitter Penelope Holyoak.

Nonetheless, CK relinquished their early lead after some defensive miscues and lack of offensive consistency, letting the Panthers jump out to their largest lead in the set at 15-12.

The Panthers continued to grow their lead later on in the set at 23-18, but the Cougars rallied back with Analiah Lauifi and outside hitter Illiana Brockett landing multiple blocks to tie the set up at 24 apiece. CK eventually rallied to win the first set 26-24, going on an eight-one scoring run.

The beginning of the second set proved to be back and forth, with neither team able to take a stronghold over the match. CK took their first lead of the second set at 12-11 after Brockett landed a diving save, allowing the Cougars to rally and take the lead. Nonetheless, Seattle Prep kept it close, tying the game up at 17 apiece.

CK eventually won the second set 25-20.

The Cougars leaped out to a 4-0 lead at the beginning of the third set, carrying the momentum from the first two sets with them. CK eventually led 12-6 behind libido Jhazel Tirador landing put-backs and controlling the floor for the Cougars.

The Cougars jumped out to their largest lead of the match at 17-8 in the third set behind rallies from middle hitter Hannah Taylor and Holyoak.

CK continued their strong showing in the third set, eventually winning 25-14.

CK vs. North Thurston

The Cougars quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set behind strong blocks and put-backs from Taylor, Lauifi, and Holyoak. Nonetheless, the Rams quickly tied it back up at four apiece.

The Rams eventually took the lead after some Cougar defensive miscues, jumping out to a 13-8 lead and ultimately controlling the pace of the match. The Cougars struggled to stop the Rams’ attacks on the net, allowing them to eventually go on an 18-7 scoring run.

North Thurston jumped out to their largest lead on the day at 22-10, but CK tallied a 5-2 scoring run of its own late in the set, fighting until the bitter end. The Cougars ultimately lost the first set 25-15.

The Rams continued their dominance over CK, tallying an early 6-1 lead over the Cougars at the beginning of the second set, warranting an early timeout from coach Katie Pasi to go over different game plans with her team.

Nonetheless, CK was able to draw the set to a two-point deficit behind strong blocks and rallies from Taylor and right-side hitter Silei Pasi at 15-13.

However, North Thurston was able to capitalize on some CK offensive miscues, jumping out to their largest lead in the second set at 21-14. But outside hitter Alaina Wright managed to stymie the Rams’ surge with a block, giving CK a chance to come back in the set. Ultimately, the Rams held on, winning the second set 25-18.

In the third set, the Cougars jumped out to a 6-1 lead behind several blocks. But on queue, the Rams began to rally back, shrinking the lead to one at 8-7, forcing a Pasi timeout. The Rams eventually took the lead for the first time at 15-14 after the CK defense failed to prevent North Thurston’s ferocious offensive attack.

The Cougars battled back and kept the set deadlocked at 20, but eventually relinquished another lead to the Rams after some defensive miscues. North Thurston went on a 6-0 scoring run to win the set and the match.