Timberline clinches 3rd straight state bid with sweep of Capital in district quarters

TACOMA — When Maia Nichols was a perennial all-state volleyball player at Capital High School from 2016 to 2020, the Timberline Blazers she saw back then looked nothing like the Timberline Blazers she saw as the Cougars’ head coach on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

In some ways, today’s Timberline squad parallels those historic Capital teams for which Nichols starred. A hungry 2017 Cougars team that finished fourth at state the year prior leveled up and won their first state title in program history during Nichols’ sophomore year. The standout outside hitter was the MVP of the state tournament for a Capital team loaded with seniors.

Sounds just like the blueprint the Blazers have been establishing this season.

A hungry 2026 Timberline team that finished seventh at state the year prior has leveled up and is currently standing alone as the last unbeaten team in Class 3A led by a multitude of standout outside hitters and seniors. 

Timberline kept its undefeated season alive with a sweep of Capital 25-14, 25-18, 25-14, on Wednesday, Nov. 11 in the Class 3A District 3 Tournament quarterfinals at Mount Tahoma High School. The Blazers punched their ticket to the Class 3A State Tournament for the third straight season, but this method of doing so was particularly meaningful for this group.

It’s the first time they didn’t have to take the long road to state. Timberline lost in the district quarterfinals in each of the past two seasons and had to win two games in the consolation bracket to earn a spot at state.

But the top-seeded Blazers, who had a first-round bye, only needed to beat Capital in the quarterfinals on Wednesday to book a trip to Yakima.

“I’m really happy that we’re going to state today and not on Saturday because the last few years, we’ve had to wait until Saturday and win out,” Timberline head coach Matt Monnastes said. “We haven’t been in a position where we get to finish the job. The next goal is to be district champions.”

Capital advanced to the quarterfinals after an impressive sweep in the first round over Enumclaw 25-18, 25-21, 25-19. Taeva Hartman and Claire Anderson dominated in the first set against the Hornets with four kills apiece, and Hartman added a pair of aces. Capital finished set one on a 7-1 sprint. 

Eliza Mikkelsen caught fire in set two with six kills in the frame, and Clara Sandberg finished it off with six kills of her seven total kills in the third. The Cougars built a 21-9 lead in that third set, but Enumclaw raced back to pull as close as within three points until Sandberg’s back-to-back kills to end the match.

Capital’s mindset throughout the district tournament was fairly simple.

“We knew that we had nothing to lose,” Sandberg said. “We knew that if we believed in ourselves and we kept high energy the whole game, we had it in the bag.”

Nichols, the former Washington Husky and Arizona State Sun Devil beach volleyball player, sought to prepare her team for chaos that they could face in the tournament during the past week of practice, including giving the Cougars her best swings from the outside.

“I was swinging at the girls a ton on Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Having that in practice where they were used to scrambling the past few days has really helped us not get flustered on both big rallies and not give up,” Nichols said. 

Against Timberline in the quarterfinals, Mikkelsen was prepared for chaos with back-to-back kills to start the first set. Eight unanswered points, including back-to-back aces by Kinley Smith, fueled the Blazers in front 13-5. Timberline cruised to the finish line 25-14.

Capital made things interesting in set two early en route to a 4-3 lead until Timberline overwhelmed the Cougars with an 11-2 run. A lead that was once nine for the Blazers was chopped down to five late in the set by Capital, but Timberline prevailed 25-18.

Timberline’s front row imposed its will in the third set as Lilly Grant and Smith wouldn’t let anything over the net. The unbeaten Blazers rolled to a 25-14 third-set win.

Timberline didn't rely heavily on any one hitter to carry the load offensively. Instead, eight different players had at least one kill Wednesday night, led by six for Smith, Grant and Kinley Zimmerman. Smith and Miya Jackson each had 15 digs, and senior setter Leia Dela Cruz posted 24 assists, eight digs and two kills.

Once again, players like senior libero Jovie Lind and senior defensive specialist Islee Rebelez got to fire some attacks from the back row.

“I’m excited that they get to hit it over the net and get the kill. Those little moments create so much momentum,” Dela Cruz said. “Giving everyone the opportunity to get that sunshine and success really helps.

Timberline arrived to the Mount Tahoma campus early in the afternoon before its 5:30 p.m. start time to watch the Capital-Enumclaw matchup, among others. Studying their opponent in real time helped the Blazers prepare for the feisty Cougars, a team that has taken some tough points off of Timberline in all three matchups this season.

“Capital is really well-coached. Their coach is a former beach player, and she has taught them how to be really scrappy volleyball players,” Monnastes said of Nichols.

Timberline (17-0) now heads to the district semifinals to face Lakes on Saturday, Nov. 14, and Capital drops to the consolation bracket to take on Auburn Mountainview in an elimination game by Nov. 14.