Central Kitsap set for districts

TACOMA — It wasn’t the marquee match it used to be, but Central Kitsap still drubbed South Kitsap on the volleyball court to avoid elimination Saturday.

Two days after getting stunned by Olympia, the Cougars bounced back with a hard-fought 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-12) win against the Wolves at Mount Tahoma High School.

“It feels really good,” CK libero Theresia Dever said. “This match was so much different. We played so much different today.”

CK followed the win up by topping Stadium 3-0 (25-13, 25-16, 25-13) for the No. 5 seed into this weekend’s West Central District Tournament. Now, CK will take on Curtis at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Kentwood High School.

The biggest key to turning it around? Fun.

“Practice (Friday) was just so much fun,” Dever said. “Everyone was having a good time. We were all really focused.”

That translated on the court, as CK snubbed out SK after two tough first matches.

“Give South a lot of credit,” CK coach Gordy Bushaw said. “They weren’t intimidated. The came out and played very hard. We just kind of wore them out by that third game.”

Rather than CK playing down to SK’s level, Bushaw said it was the opposite.

“They were playing up to our level,” Bushaw said.

The change in attitude was evident from before the game, as CK spent its final warm-up moments dancing and cheering in a new pregame routine.

“They’re just peculiar people,” Bushaw joked. “I don’t know what that was. I like seeing them happy. Even if it is a little strange.”

After the win, the league presented its 2007 awards, with Dever earning co-MVP honors alongside Gig Harbor’s Danielle Reese and Bellarmine’s Marlayna Geary.

Setter Angela Spieker, who recorded a combined 52 assists in the Saturday matches, earned All-Narrows League Second-Team honors while hitters Tara Patton and Lauren Forney both received honorable mention nods.

Now ready for districts, Bushaw said while his team responds in loser-out games, he doesn’t want to be in that situation for a little while.

“We do have pretty resilient kids,” Bushaw said. “I wish we had less to be resilient from. We’ve been up and down. But they always bounce back.”

While it may not seem a big difference going in No. 5 or No. 6, Bushaw said only the top two South Puget Sound League teams, Kentwood and Rogers, really pulled apart. Since CK draws No. 3-seeded Curtis, that’s a good thing.

“That’s a better way to start,” Bushaw said. “We want to start with a team that’s not just a killer.”

Olympic

The Olympic volleyball team also will open district play on Friday. The team Oly will play was still unknown as of press time, however. Olympic will take the court at 4 p.m. Friday at Auburn Mountainview High School.

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