The White River High volleyball team capped a stellar season by bringing home sixth-place hardware from the Class 3A state tournament.

The tourney was contested last Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23, at the Yakima Valley SunDome.

Gathering for the 3A festivities were 20 of the top squads from throughout Washington, all having survived a regular season before advancing from postseason play.

To qualify for Yakima, the White River girls tore through the 3A North Puget Sound League, capturing first-place honors with a perfect 16-0 record, winning every match by a 3-0 score. The Hornets then earned their state berth by winning three of four contests during a district tournament.

White River, seeded No. 10 into the tourney, opened state play against Central Kitsap. After dropping the first set to the Cougars, the Buckley squad rolled to a 25-15, 25-18, 25-7 victory. Moving into the tourney quarterfinals, White River suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of North Thurston, dropping into loser-out territory.

Day 2 of the state tournament saw the Hornets paired against Prairie High (Clark County), which carried the No. 3 seed into tourney play. In a tough match, White River prevailed over the Plainsmen 25-23, 25-20 and, finally, 28-26. That set the battle for fifth and sixth place against Liberty High of Renton. In three close sets, the Redhawks came out on top, winning 27-25, 25-22, 26-24.

In their first season competing at the Class 3A level, White River won their league title, finished with an overall record of 21-3 and delivered a new addition to the school’s athletic trophy case.