Bothell Cougars claw Kingco volleyball title

Bothell defeats Issaquah for second time

If the prior meeting between the league-champion Bothell High Cougars and the talented, tall Issaquah High Eagles was any indication, both teams were in for a battle.

Back on Oct. 21, they met in a regular-season match at Bothell, which many felt would decide the league champion, and the Cougars took down the high-flying Eagles in a four-game thriller.

It was only fitting, then, that the two teams would meet once again in the championship match of the 4A Kingco volleyball tournament, which was held last Thursday in front of a sea of Cougar fans at the Bothell High gym.

In the end, the experienced Cougars (14-2) fought hard to win a gut-wrenching first game and ended up outplaying the towering but young Eagles (12-5), winning the championship, 3-1, and earning the No. 1 seed to this weekend’s 4A state championships in Kennewick. The Eagles go in as the No. 3 seed.

The first game started promising for Bothell, as feared outside hitter Charnele Odingo slammed down two spikes and defensive specialist Zoe Iida served up two aces to put the Cougars ahead early, 6-0.

But momentum is everything in volleyball, and the Eagles, who have seven girls on their varsity roster 6 feet or taller, got it together and tied the game up at 9-9.

With the score 12-11 in favor of the Eagles, Issaquah made a near-impossible recovery on a ball well out of bounds and won the first of four straight points. Kills by 6-foot sophomore Rachel Roeder and 6-foot-3 junior Alyssa Schultz extended the Eagles’ lead, and soon the Cougars had their backs to the wall, with the score 22-24.

In true Cougar form, the ladies clawed back from the brink of despair. Setter Anna Buck placed the ball perfectly for Odingo to slam it home twice in a row to tie the score at 24-24, sending the Bothell Blue into a frenzy.

Within the next minute, another Odingo kill and a game-winning block by senior middle Kionna Shealey had the home team celebrating a brilliant come-from-behind win, 27-25.

Bothell lost the second game, 21-25, but the girls put on a clinic in the pivotal third game, taking advantage of numerous unforced errors and miscommunication by the Eagles. The Cougars, leading 10-7, put together an incredible 14-point run and won in a landslide, 25-9.

The Eagles returned to form to begin the fourth game, with an ace by senior libero Kayle Schwisow tying the score at 8-8. With the crowd sensing another blowout in the works, the Cougars delivered with a 13-2 run capped by back-to-back aces by outside hitter Blythe Cannon, lifting the Cougars to victory, 25-17.

“They did a really good job, Issaquah’s a great team,” said Bothell head coach Marlie Davis, who was named 4A Kingco coach of the year. “They honestly got us out of our rhythm, and we’d have to fight and scratch to get ourselves back in.

“I told them, ‘You’ve got to stay steady.’ If you go through a match like a roller coaster, you’re going to kill yourself (mentally).”

Davis said playing the match was tough on both squads since neither had played in a week, but the fact that her team had beaten Issaquah earlier in the season gave the Cougars a mental advantage. And unlike their first meeting with Bothell, the Eagles’ front line had difficulty getting their hits to fall in the championship match.

“We talked a lot about our mental preparation more than physical ... and it was nice to see them come out and respond,” Davis said.

“We worked a little bit on blocking, but familiarity helps there, too. Having a win under our belt against them, I don’t care who you’re playing, it gives you a little bit of an edge.”

Buck was credited with 37 assists, and Iida dug up 33 balls to go along with four aces. Cannon also recorded four aces, and she combined with Shealey for 17 kills at the net. Odingo shone with a season-best 21 kills and three blocks.

“We wanted it that much more, so we came out playing really hard,” said Odingo, who was named the 4A Kingco co-most valuable player with Ballard’s Lisa Day.

Clockwork on the court

Great teams just seem to jell together over time, and perhaps no team has done that better than Bothell, whose movements on the court resemble clockwork.

“They have their own rhythm,” said Davis, a self-proclaimed ‘control freak.’ “For me, it’s been hard to step back and just let the rhythm be, but it’s been really good because they love each other ... they hang out together off the court and have good relationships.”

Even the players themselves, many of whom were on last year’s team that went to state, can see the difference in the team’s camaraderie.

“I think we’re way more connected as a whole,” Odingo observed. “We’ve all played together and know each other’s weaknesses and strengths. Knowing each other for this many years will enable us to play way better at state than last year.”

Setting the stage for state

The 4A state volleyball tournament was a struggle for the Cougars last year, as they went 1-2 to finish out of the rankings. But this year will be different, says Davis, since experience and seeding will be on their side.

“If you have goals, not just to go to the state tournament but to do something, coming in as a No. 1 seed is huge, and we talked about how important that was for these girls,” Davis said. “I’m excited, and it’s nice to go to the state tournament with girls that have been there before.”

Being that the core of seniors Odingo, Shealey, Cannon and defender Dez Diego have all played in the pressure-packed environment before, the Cougars are primed and ready to pounce on some state hardware to add to Bothell’s trophy case.

“We went to state last year. It was really fun, but I think we could have done better,” Odingo admitted. “But now we know what to expect from the other teams, and hope to take some of them out that we didn’t take out last year.

“We’re shooting for first.”

Bothell Reporter Reporter Tim Watanabe can be reached at twatanabe@reporternewspapers.com.

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