Preparation report: SunDome Volleyball Festival returns Friday and Saturday | PREPARATION BLOG
After nearly two years without volleyball at the SunDome, the sport is back in droves on Friday and Saturday.
The 18th annual SunDome Volleyball Festival will feature 32 teams each day, starting with the Small Schools Tournament on Friday, followed by the Grand Schools Tournament on Saturday.
And just in time to help preview the tournament is the first State Coaching Poll, which reveals 18 teams from all six categories arrive at Yakima this weekend.
Highlights on Friday include Colfax, ranked No.2 in Class 2B, and Oakesdale, ranked No.1 in 1B. Colfax has amassed 15 state titles at 2B and 1A levels, and Oakesdale has won four of the last five 1B state titles – all at Yakima. This tournament will be a great measuring tool for Goldendale, who is ranked fourth in 2B and has not lost a match since 2019.
Toppenish, Granger, Naches Valley, Highland, Sunnyside Christian, Kittitas, Riverside Christian and White Swan will also be on the field on Friday, along with JV teams from West Valley, Selah and Davis.
Rogers from Puyallup returns to defend his title on the court on Saturday, but there are plenty of contenders including Tahoma and Mt. Spokane – the 2019 4A and 3A State Champions, the last time volleyball was played in the SunDome.
Tahoma is ranked third in 4A and in the same group as Selah. Mt. Spokane is ranked # 1 in 3A and will face in a tough group with West Valley, who are six-time Festival champions and ranked eighth in 4A.
Also in a tough group is Ellensburg, ranked No. 4 in 2A. Kennewick (No. 9 3A) and Lynden Christian (No. 5 1A) will join the Bulldogs. Burlington-Edison, a second-ranked 2A rival, will play on the field next to Ellensburg.
There might even be the first out-of-state champion since winning Crook County, Oregon in 2007. Lakeland High won last year’s 4A state title in Idaho, which continued its normal fall program in 2020.
Other locals in the Saturday area include Davis, Eisenhower, East Valley, Grandview, Prosser and La Salle.
The game of billiards takes place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day with a game in brackets to follow. Bracket finals are scheduled for 7:25 pm Tickets cost $ 10 for the day for adults and $ 8 for children under 10 and 62 and over.
Difficult tests
As the CWAC gears up with two league games, the rest of this week’s football slate remains full of non-league competition – many of which feature undefeated opponents and many of which take place on Saturday afternoon.
West Valley will finally play its first game on Friday after canceling its first two due to COVID protocols. The Rams will host Kennewick (2-0), who is ranked No.6 in Class 3A with wins over Walla Walla (23-7) and Southridge (17-14).
Zaepfel Stadium will have an unbeaten clash with Eisenhower (2-0) hosting Lewiston (3-0), who is ranked third in the Idaho State 5A poll with an average of 48 points. This is the third week in a row that the Cadets have faced a new opponent in the history of the program.
Davis (1-1) will travel to Seattle on Saturday to face Garfield at Memorial Stadium at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs are 2-0 with wins over Bainbridge (48-8) and Lake City (42-2). Sunnyside (2-0) will travel to Vancouver to face the ninth Skyview (2-0), which beat Columbia River (27-0) and Battle Ground (51-6).
In another east-west clash on Saturday, Grandview hosts Meridian.
The aforementioned start of the CWAC game was reduced to two games – Othello in East Valley and Ellensburg in Ephrata – when Prosser had to postpone his game in Selah, perhaps at week 10. The Vikings, however, were quickly able to fill the gap. void with their original Week 2 opponent – Naches Valley.
The Rangers were scheduled to face Quincy on Thursday before the Jackrabbits asked to postpone the game until Monday, but now Naches Valley is back to a Friday night game in Selah.
Hang in there, sports directors!
Run the ridge
In an effort to reduce congestion for athletes and spectators, the 15th Annual Apple Ridge Run Cross Country Meet will be a split event this year with a field for large schools competing on Saturday and a field for small schools planned. for October 9.
Saturday’s races will feature West Valley, Eisenhower, Davis, Selah, East Valley, Ellensburg and Grandview as well as Kennewick, Ephrata, Pasco and Othello. Start of races on the three courses at 11 a.m.
Highland will host, among others, Naches Valley, Toppenish, Granger, Cle Elum and Goldendale on October 9. Most of the smaller schools in the valley will be participating in the Wenatchee Invitational this weekend.
On the sidelines
Senior Ricky Cisneros ran 35 yards for a touchdown, threw one and scored on a two-run conversion run to help Granger beat Wapato 20-14 on Monday. … The WIAA plans to use three stadiums in the Tacoma area for state championship games – Mount Tahoma High School (4A, 1B), Harry Lang Stadium (1A, 2B) and Sparks Stadium in Puyallup (3A, 2A). … In two games, Jason Grant of Toppenish had 17 catches for 380 yards and six touchdowns. He also has three interceptions. … Sunnyside’s Myles Newhouse pounded the ground for 395 yards on 54 carries and added 13 catches for 97 yards. … Whether it was smoke, COVID or other reasons, six teams were unable to play in week 2 – West Valley, Selah, Naches Valley, White Swan, Kittitas and Mabton.