Auburn Mountainview went 1-2, earning a tie for ninth place at the state 3A volleyball tournament in Lacey on Saturday.

The tournament was the program’s sixth straight state appearance.

“(It) was once again an amazing experience that my girls were honored to be a part of,” said Momi Bowles, the program’s head coach since the school opened in 2005.

The Lions (17-6 overall) got off to a rousing start on the court at Saint Martin’s University last Friday, rolling over Glacier Peak (14-7) 3-0 behind scores of 25-23, 25-20, 25-22.

Seniors Kelsey Fausko and Caitlin Carr led the way with 13 and eight kills, respectively.

Junior Alexia Elliott-Free had 14 digs with junior Sam Odren chipping in with 26 assists in the match.

In their second-round match, the Lions pushed undefeated West Valley of Yakima (35-0), snagging the first game of the match 25-18, before losing 3-1 to the eventual state 3A champion.

The Rams won the match by scores of 18-25, 30-28, 25-20, 25-21.

Odren notched 43 assists and two aces in the contest, with Carr adding 18 kills, five blocks and 16 digs.

Fausko had 11 kills and four blocks and Elliott-Free had 21 digs.

The Lions closed out their season with a 3-0 loss to Prairie (27-5). Game scores were 25-7, 25-21, 25-22.

Carr had seven kills in the loss, with Elliott-Free adding 12 digs. Odren had 17 assists in the match and sophomore Maya Richardson had 6 kills.

Despite the season-ending loss, Bowles was upbeat about the team’s efforts.

“We represented Auburn with class, competed well and have memories to last a lifetime,” she said. “That is what Auburn Mountainview volleyball has been about since we opened in 2005. It has been a great ride.”

The Lions finished the regular season with the South Puget Sound League 3A title with a 9-1 record. Auburn Mountainview captured first at the sub-district meet and qualified for the state tourney with a third-place finish at the West Central District III tournament.