EHS VOLLEYBALL: Rocky start knocks Enumclaw out of state tourney early

The Enumclaw High volleyball squad, which overcame considerable odds to earn a berth into the weekend’s state Class 3A tournament at St. Martin’s University and Timberline High in Lacey, got off to a rocky start and never fully recovered. Against a highly favored Eastside Catholic squad Friday morning, Enumclaw was swept in three consecutive sets, making an early shuffle to the left side of the bracket. Once there, the Hornets couldn’t survive long enough to play any Saturday matches in the double elimination proceedings. Enumclaw showed poise under fire as in the initial set against formidable Eastside Catholic, the score was tied at 22-22. At that point, Hornet setter Hannah Morris attempted to dig a rocket sent over the net by Eastside Catholic’s Kameron McLain and in the process strained a wrist ligament. With that, Morris was out of commission for the remainder of the tournament.

By John Leggett • November 14, 2011 5:37 pm
Enumclaw's Danielle Saltarelli tips a ball back over the net during play at the 3A state volleyball tournament Friday.
Enumclaw's Danielle Saltarelli tips a ball back over the net during play at the 3A state volleyball tournament Friday.

The Enumclaw High volleyball squad, which overcame considerable odds to earn a berth into the weekend’s state Class 3A tournament at St. Martin’s University and Timberline High in Lacey, got off to a rocky start and never fully recovered.

Against a highly favored Eastside Catholic squad Friday morning, Enumclaw was  swept in three consecutive sets, making an early shuffle to the left side of the bracket. Once there, the Hornets couldn’t survive long enough to play any Saturday matches in the double elimination proceedings.

Enumclaw showed poise under fire as in the initial set against formidable Eastside Catholic, the score was tied at 22-22. At that point, Hornet setter Hannah Morris attempted to dig a rocket sent over the net by Eastside Catholic’s Kameron McLain and in the process strained a wrist ligament. With that, Morris was out of commission for the remainder of the tournament.

With the score knotted at 22, McLain finished off a predominantly junior Enumclaw squad to earn a narrow victory 25-23.

Eastside Catholic, 20-5 on the 2011 campaign overall, eventually took second-place honors, losing only to West Valley of Yakima in the championship match The Crusaders completed their sweep of EHS with scores of 25-22 and 25-16.

“The injury to Hannah threw us for a loop temporarily in that first set, but I was proud of the way the girls recovered fairly quickly and battled back to give the Crusaders a pretty good fight overall,” said Hornet coach Jackie Carel, whose squad finished 16-9 overall.

“The way our offense is set up, when we lost one of our top setters so early in the tournament…it was like losing a starting quarterback in the first period of a championship football game,” Carel said. “Our hitters had been able to depend on that person for great setting for the majority of the season. Hannah was simply hurting so badly that she couldn’t continue to be on the court.”

Katie Holland, the Hornets’ other junior setter, who shared the setting duties with Morris throughout most of the 2011 campaign, did an admirable job of taking control throughout the remainder of the tournament, totaling nearly 50 assists.

After being overwhelmed by Eastside Catholic, Enumclaw had to change venues and play a Kennewick High group Friday afternoon at Timberline High School. Kennewick had been pitted against a tough Camas High Papermaker unit in its opener and lost 25-17, 25-17, 25-22.

Kennewick sent Enumclaw packing with a 25-11, 22-25, 26-24 and 25-18 victory.

The Hornets’ HayleeMae Dennis, a senior who was the solitary EHS player to earn first-team, all-league accolades, managed 28 kills and 25 digs during the tournament. Molly Colyer, the only other senior on the young Enumclaw crew, was awarded SPSL 3A honorable mention status, while junior teammates, middle hitter Danielle Saltarelli and defensive specialist Olivia Bannerot, both gleaned second team laurels. During the state tournament Bannerot amassed 30 digs, while Colyer and Saltarelli gleaned 14 and 10 kills, respectively.