ADNA — Defense wins championships.
The old moniker can be applied to football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, water polo, etc. Truly whatever sport the heart desires.
Ask the Rainier High School volleyball team if it’s applicable during the Class 2B District 4 tournament.
Spoiler alert… yes.
Behind a trio with double digit digs and almost 10 combined blocks on Wednesday night, the third-seeded Mountaineers triumphed over second-seeded Toledo 25-21, 15-25, 25-23, 25-9 in Adna to secure back-to-back district title game appearances.
“Super proud of these girls, they’ve earned the right to be in the finals,” Rainier head coach Carrie Ooms said. “It is amazing to watch the progress.”
Rainier also will be one of the final 16 teams in 2B next week at the state tournament in Yakima for the fourth straight season. Ooms’ five years at the helm have vaulted the program into a force, compared to where it was prior to her arrival.
Her players have a full grasp of how the Mountaineers are viewed statewide, too.
“It is a blessing to be here year after year,” sophomore middle Lexi Beckman said. “Not playing down to the opponent’s level is really important to us.”
Believe it or not, the semi was the first time all season the Mountaineers (16-3) won a match in four sets. The previous 15 victories all came via sweeps and the three setbacks, two of them were five-set barnburners.
The one other loss?
It was versus Onalaska and Rainier was swept out of the gymnasium. The two sides will play for the third time on Saturday for the district championship at 5 p.m. in Raymond.
“Any one on any given day is beatable,” Ooms said.
From the first practice back in August to this point, the size of the Mountaineers front row was perceived as a strength and a problem for their opponents. It isn’t just the 6-foot-2 Beckman, but four others at 5-9 and Ellie Pringle a spry 5-7.
It allowed for not only a lethal offense paced by two-time C2BL MVP Allyson Ooms, but a block that unleashed their prowess versus the Riverhawks (14-4).
Beckman had four herself, including the very first point of the third set. Setter Courtney Eckroth and Ooms each had two and freshman Reagan Bloom recorded one.
“We knew where we needed to block,” Beckman said. “After watching film, especially with Abby we saw where she swings and that was important to go to that spot. We practiced it on and on yesterday.”
Tied at 1-1 on the night and in a dogfight in set three, neither side had a cushion larger than four points. The Mountaineers won a couple long rallies that were capped by a Beckman kill and a Toledo hitting error to put them in front 24-22.
After Taysia Miller’s kill made it 24-23 and another long rally, Eckroth placed a dump kill in the perfect spot to secure the Rainier advantage.
“It helps give that one team a little (push),” Coach Ooms said.
Set four was a blowout.
A 6-3 margin for the Mountaineers quickly blossomed to 16-3 behind four aces from freshman Elyse Plowman and a couple kills by Ooms. Their final five points came off the hands of Beckman and Ooms that sent them into euphoria.
Ooms, a CSU Bakersfield beach volleyball commit, finished with 19 kills and 21 digs while Beckman added 13 kills. Pringle posted a team-best 24 digs and recorded 10 kills plus three aces.
Eckroth dished out 48 assists and chipped in 16 digs while Bloom notched eight kills.
“We’re ready,” Beckman said. “Just keeping the same mindset for every game.”
On Plowman’s four aces: “She has good placement and she’ll ask questions,” Coach Ooms stated.
Toledo head coach Whitney Nailon kept it blunt afterwards.
“We made a lot of errors tonight. You can’t show up to districts missing serves like we did,” she stated. “We also haven’t folded like we did in the fourth set.”
Rainier jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the opening set before the Riverhawks answered with five straight, ended by a Lexi Young kill. Two kills and two aces late in the set gave it the needed breathing room to lead the match early.
Ellie Fallon woke up in the second set with six kills and Abby Umbriaco was a constant thorn with eight kills and a handful of blocks. Fallon led the attack with 14 kills and Sidney Kruger distributed 23 assists.
What stands in the way for Toledo to get back to the state tournament for the second time in a row is a date with P2BL champion Forks on Saturday afternoon in Raymond. The Riverhawks haven’t lost two straight matches all season.
“We have two days to pull it back together so we’ll set some new goals and be back at it,” Nailon said.
Meanwhile Rainier is seeking a second straight district trophy. Coach Ooms is hopeful the familiar setting could serve its roster well come Saturday night.
“Hopefully we can pick up where we left off and push through.” Coach Ooms said.
