It took five games to do it, but the Auburn Riverside volleyball team put away district rival Auburn 3-2 Tuesday at Auburn Riverside High School to grab the final berth into the South Puget Sound League sub-district tournament.
The tourney begins Saturday at Todd Beamer High in Federal Way.
The Trojans (3-4 league, 5-9 overall) and Ravens (4-4, 6-7) traded blows in the match, with Auburn Riverside coming out on top, 25-17, 19-25, 25-22, 22-25 and 15-6 in a battle for fifth place in the SPSL North 4A.
“We were both fighting for a playoff spot, so I knew it would go down to the wire,” Auburn Riverside coach Chris Levernz said. “Auburn’s really talented. They had a little momentum going into the game, so it’s what I expected.”
The Ravens were led by 6-foot-1 senior middle hitter Allison Wuerch, who finished the match with 21 kills and six aces. Lauren Johnson, a 5-10 senior outside hitter, contributed 16 kills and five aces and 5-7 sophomore setter Lexi White had 25 assists. Carson Hielborn, a 5-10 freshman setter, added 18 assists in the win.
The Trojans were led by 6-0 senior outside hitter Isia Johnson, who had a match-high 30 kills and added 28 digs. Brooke Good, a 6-0 junior outside hitter, had 21 kills and 22 digs and 5-9 junior setter Kelsey Zager contributed 51 assists.
The win was Auburn Riverside’s second over Auburn this season, with the Ravens defeating their rivals 3-1 on Sept. 19.
“It makes a big difference (winning against your rival),” Leverenz said. “And I think it would have been for them also. It’s like that big sister, little sister thing. It’s always been that way with us and Auburn.”
Wuerch agreed:
“It just makes us want to win more because they’re our rivals,” she said.
Auburn Riverside now prepares to meet Rogers (4-4, 8-6) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Beamer. The winner grabs the No. 9 berth into the West Central District, with the loser earning the No. 10 seed. The district tourney begins Nov. 4 at Kentwood High School.
“I think we have a lot more in us,” Leverenz said. “I thought we played our best game of the year against Kentwood (the Ravens lost 3-2 to the No. 7 Conquerors on Oct. 12). I think we’re capable of playing better volleyball. I think it’s more about mentally preparing them than physically preparing them, because they’re very talented.”
“I feel like we’re going to do well, if we play like we did (Tuesday),” Wuerch added.
Also competing in the SPSL sub-districts are Kent-Meridian, Kentwood, Tahoma and Kentridge from the SPSL North 4A and Graham-Kapowsin, Puyallup, Curtis and Spanaway Lake out of the SPSL South 4A.
ELSEWHERE: No. 7 Auburn Mountainview clinched its third straight SPSL 3A league title last week with a 9-1 league record, 11-3 overall. The Lions begin play in the SPSL/Seamount 3A sub-district tourney at 10 a.m. Saturday against Hazen (8-5).
