OLYMPIA — When the North Thurston Rams step onto the volleyball court, all eyes are inevitably on them.
Spectators who might be watching them play for the first time will certainly ask themselves some variant of a question like, “How good are they really?”
Or perhaps, “Are they legit?”
With a 2025 3A state championship, three straight District 3 3A titles and a record of 75-5 since the start of the 2023 season under their belt, the answer to the latter question is almost always a resounding yes for the Rams.
But consider for a moment the mentality of the opponent of a reigning state champion, a position Olympia was in on its home court Monday night.
Coaches won’t admit it, but the preparation for an opportunity to hand a team like North Thurston a rare loss and earn as significant of a win as a September non-league matchup can offer matters a little bit more. The “underdog” status is enough to propel a team to new heights.
Olympia rose to the challenge and gave the champion North Thurston a battle, but the Rams took care of business in a 3-1 (25-23, 25-22, 18-25, 25-18) victory over the Bears.
In each of their first two matches, both on the road, the Rams have been pushed by their opponents, which is exactly what they anticipated before their state title defense began. They defeated Gig Harbor in four sets on Sept. 10.
“We have that grit to conquer anyone, even if they’re super powerful or if they’re maybe stronger than us,” North Thurston senior Abby Losey said. “We always push even if we’re down a few points.”
North Thurston and Olympia both flashed their power on the outside, as Losey and Olympia junior Stella Sheeran went punch for punch in the first set. Bears senior middle blocker Netty Obungu also got involved early with a pair of kills as her team built an 18-14 lead. North Thurston quickly tied the score at 18-18 thanks to three errors by the Bears, and the Rams retook the lead at 22-21 and won the first set 25-23. Neither team led by more than four points in the frame.
The Rams had to come from behind again in the second set, as Olympia tallied each of the first four points, two of which were Sheeran kills. But a 15-13 Bears lead turned into an 18-15 Rams lead because of more errors by Olympia and a kill by Kelci Teo.
Rams head coach Jackie Meyer took a timeout with her team leading 23-18, their biggest lead of the night, and Olympia responded with a 4-1 run to cut the margin to two. Bears sophomore middle Sophie Deiss picked up a kill at the end of the run, which was cut short as Rams senior middle Audrey Krocker blocked an attack to seal a 25-22 second-set triumph for North Thurston.
Early in the third set, neither team could separate themselves from their opponent. The frame saw eight ties and four lead changes, and Olympia broke away from a 13-13 tie with a 4-0 run. Sheeran came alive with a kill and an ace, and sophomore pin hitter Claire Jacobs added a kill.
The damage came from all over the Bears’ side of the court in their finish to the second set, including from Anna Johnston, Deiss, Jacobs, Sheeran and Obungu. An attack error by North Thurston clinched the final point in Olympia’s 25-18 third-set victory to extend the match to a fourth set.
For the first time in the match, North Thurston put the first point of the set on the scoreboard thanks to an Olympia attack error to open the fourth set, and Kaelani Adams added the second point with a kill, one of her 13 on the night.
A Johnston kill from the right side made it 14-11 North Thurston, and the Rams blew the set open with a 8-2 run to give them the biggest lead that either team earned Monday night.
Olympia wasn’t quite done yet, as Sheeran caught fire with five kills in a six-point stretch before the Rams secured the final three points to win 25-18.
“It’s their second game of the season, so they’re still learning to play with each other. I really like the fight and the enthusiasm my team showed,” Meyer said. “They never gave up. They’re super positive with each other. They lock in every point and just try harder and harder.”
Olympia head coach Christie Oldright walked away from the match impressed with her team’s passing and fight against one of the top teams in Washington state. The Bears compiled 47 assists with only two setting errors. Despite a 1-3 start to the non-league slate against four quality opponents, she believes the Bears have taken significant leaps in the past two weeks.
“We passed very well. We’re getting our middles involved more. We’re diversifying our offense, and we keep working hard to find ways to kill the ball,” Oldright said. “They made a nice comeback in set four. I’m very proud of our composure. We’re investing in the roots right now, and the fruit will come.”
Losey led the Rams with 17 kills, while Sheeran paced the Bears with a game-high 19 kills. The two DaKine beach club volleyball teammates weren’t the only stars of the show, as Johnston finished with 20 assists, 16 digs, seven kills and three blocks for Olympia. Obungu recorded seven kills, five blocks and two digs, while McKenzie Madill added 25 assists, six digs, one block and one ace.
Rams setter Jazlyn Strachan tallied 26 assists, eight digs and one ace, and libero Jaeda Cruz shined on defense with 29 digs.
Olympia will look to get back on track at home against Bonney Lake Wednesday night, while North Thurston (2-0) will face Lincoln for its home opener Tuesday night.
