The Ellensburg High School (EHS) volleyball team finished second in state after the WIAA State Tournament this past weekend. The tournament was hosted on campus at Nicholson Pavilion. EHS plays in the 2A level and they competed against 15 other schools for state.

EHS opened up the weekend with a 3-1 (25-15, 18-25, 25-19, 25-21) win over North Kitsap High School. In the quarterfinals, they beat Tumwater High School, 3-1 (25-15, 25-17, 24-26, 25-22). Then, in the semis, the EHS Bulldogs defeated Burlington-Edison High, 3-1 (15-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-18).

EHS had to face Ridgefield High School (RHS) in the state championship. RHS held momentum for much of the match and took the first set, 25-16 and the second set, 25-9. The second set was the biggest point differential for any team in the whole tournament all weekend. EHS, with their backs up against the wall, honed in on some energy from the home crowd and was able to take the third set, 25-22. However, it was not enough as Ridgefield won the fourth and final set, 25-14.

One player that helped lead the Bulldogs to the state championship match was CWU commit Shauny Fisk. Fisk finished the match with 19 digs. For Fisk, playing in her final high school game was emotional.

“It’s hard to lose, obviously, in the championship, but I think that we really played the best we can and to go out with this group of girls. It’s a really great feeling that we made it here,” Fisk said.

Fisk will stay in the area as she attends CWU next year as a college student-athlete. However, this game was the last chance to play with a lot of lifelong friends.

“We’ve been talking about it all season, how much we love to play together, how much of a good connection we all have with each other,” Fisk said. “I’m really gonna miss the love between each and every one of us.”

With the team going 3-1 in the postseason, their final record sits at 25-6-2 for the 2019 season. Head coach Debbie Landrie said the team set a goal for the tournament, and met it.

“The girls worked hard to get here. It’s always tough to lose in the championship, especially at home,” Landrie said. “Their goal was to get to the championship match at state and they did. Not quite the outcome we wanted, but it was a good showing I think for our girls.”

Fisk and the other seniors will finish out the school year before moving onto the next chapter of their lives. The student athletes leave behind a legacy for the EHS volleyball program and a winning culture moving forward. 

Landrie said the group of girls have been in the program and most of them have played for her for four years and that they have changed the culture of the program at EHS. Fisk agreed and also hopes the next wave of student-athletes can carry on that tradition.

“I think that we leave behind a really great culture that we’ve been cultivating for the past four years,” Fisk said. “I really hope that the girls coming up behind us keep that culture going.”