World photo/Loren Benoit The Chelan High School volleyball team lifts their 1A State Championship volleyball trophy in front of their fans after sweeping Annie Wright 25-17, 25-18, 25-19 Saturday evening at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
World photo/Loren Benoit Chelan High's Olivia Stranberg digs a Annie Wright serve in the first set of the 1A State Championship volleyball match Saturday evening in the Yakima Valley SunDome.
World photo/Loren Benoit Chelan High's Celia Polley lets out a yell after scoring a point in the first set against Annie Wright in the 1A State Championship volleyball match Saturday evening at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
World photo/Loren Benoit The Chelan High School volleyball team lifts their 1A State Championship volleyball trophy in front of their fans after sweeping Annie Wright 25-17, 25-18, 25-19 Saturday evening at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
World photo/Loren Benoit Chelan High's Olivia Stranberg digs a Annie Wright serve in the first set of the 1A State Championship volleyball match Saturday evening in the Yakima Valley SunDome.
World photo/Loren Benoit Chelan High's Celia Polley lets out a yell after scoring a point in the first set against Annie Wright in the 1A State Championship volleyball match Saturday evening at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
YAKIMA – Doubtful that the Class 1A volleyball world needed a reminder of the embarrassment of riches the Chelan program is working with.
But just in case, the boisterous student section of a healthy Goats turnout early Saturday evening in the Yakima Valley SunDome was eager to point out the team’s depth of talent.
Chants of “she’s a freshman” sandwiched a flurry of claps a few of the times ninth-grade standout Brynn Hughbanks delivered a powerful spike, emphasizing that the Goats are on a different level than pretty much any team across the net.
Top-seeded Chelan swept past No. 2 Annie Wright 25-17, 25-18, 25-19 in Saturday’s finale to capture its third straight state championship and the program’s fourth.
When it wasn’t Hughbanks, it might’ve been reigning 1A co-Player of the Year Olivia Strandberg or fellow senior and all-stater Kira Sandoval delivering the smashing blow, likely off a pass from all-state setter Juliana Perez.
Libero Celia Polley, another 12th-grader, added serving, passing and defensive highlights.
“We are super, super lucky to have the firepower that we do and that’s what makes it such a dynamic team and hard to beat,” Chelan coach Abby Lewellen said. “I don’t know how I would defend us to be honest with you.”
No team had the answer this weekend in the SunDome. Only fifth-seeded Lynden Christian, which finished third, was able to take a set off the Goats.
“The improvement from last year to this year has been insane because last year we had firepower but this year it was on a whole other level,” Strandberg said. “We knew we had a lot of expectations coming into this tournament with our legacy last year, so we were battling that and proving that we earned that. It was a real struggle for us and we did it with grace and we did it very well and we were able to come out on top.”
The Gators gave the Goats a battle in each of the sets – to a point. Annie Wright was tied or led about a third of the way through each frame.
Then the champs would use a run to take control. Whether it was the 6-1 spurt in the opening set, 4-1 and 7-1 in the middle set or 6-1 and 7-0 in the clincher, Chelan was always pulling away.
“Our serving and our serve receive is usually on point and so it’s easy to keep with us for the first half of the set,” Lewellen said. “That pressure builds and builds and builds and when you’re having to make those kind plays every single point, it starts to wear down teams.”
Chelan was up 23-16 in the third set when the Gators mounted one last attack to close within four points.
Strandberg had a pair of booming spikes to cap the victory, the second of which fittingly came on an assist from Perez, another of Chelan’s five seniors.
“It was a really special moment,” Strandberg said. “What else could you really want on the final point of state? It was perfect.”
Annie Wright’s runner-up finish was a program best. No. 6 Cascade Christian took fourth after falling to Lynden Christian, ninth-seeded Nooksack Valley topped No. 7 Castle Rock in the match for fifth and sixth place while No. 13 Cedar Park Christian swept third-seeded La Center to claim seventh.
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