COLUMBIA BASIN The 1B and 2B state volleyball tournaments begin Thursday in Yakima, with Almira/Coulee-Hartline, Lind-Ritzville/Sprague, Soap Lake and Warden all competing in their respective classifications. Read along for a look at each team as they head into state competition.
Almira/Coulee-Hartline
Back at state for the first time since 2019, the Warriors are aiming for yet another high finish after finishing the regular season and districts with a 17-2 record, earning a No. 4 seed.
WARDEN Despite a close final three sets, the Warden Cougars suffered their first loss of the season on Tuesday night, falling 3-1 to River View in a battle of the undefeated atop the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference (East).
Warden entered the game 10-0, while the Panthers came into the game 9-0.
“Every team wants to be undefeated, but it’s a lot of pressure too to have that,” Warden Head Coach Shanna Golladay said. “I feel like that (loss) can take a load off, and now we can focus on each game. We’re not going to be that 12-0, 13-0, and then we can just go in and play some volleyball.”