REDMOND WEARS 4A KINGCO VOLLEYBALL CROWN
-Bill Woten, King County Journal
November 9 2003

REDMOND -- Less than a month ago, the Redmond volleyball team could have fallen apart.

Saturday night in their home gymnasium, the Mustangs put all the pieces together to win their second 4A Kingco Conference championship.

Redmond, also the league's No. 1 seed to next weekend's state tournament, defeated Woodinville 17-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-20.

``We stuck together through some really tough times,'' said Mustangs sophomore Allegra Shank, who contributed 13 kills and three aces. ``It's amazing we were able to pull through.''

On Oct. 13, Redmond lost to Bothell in a measuring-stick match it had pointed to all season. The next day was much worse. In the early morning, junior outside hitter Michelle Melero and her family escaped a fire as their home burned to the ground. Then, senior middle blocker Jamie Vallee's MRI results revealed a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Mustangs coach Ross Johnson said that despite the setbacks his team had a good practice that afternoon. And more important, a good talk.

``All of those things were a wake-up call for us,'' Johnson said. ``Volleyball is just a game. Most of all, it should be fun.''

Redmond defeated Roos-evelt the next night, kick-starting a 12-wins-out-of-13-matches run that culminated with Saturday's title tilt.

After a flurry of errors cost them game 1, the Mustangs (22-5), slowly, surely began to take control.

In game 2, Redmond took the lead for good at 7-5 on a pair of aces from Mary Martineau.

In game 3, Redmond raced out to a 7-1 lead, then closed out the game with two persistent points. First, Shank's kill concluded the longest point of the match, a back-and-forth digfest that brought the crowd to its feet. Martineau followed with a left-handed hammer for a kill on game point.

In game 4, the Mustangs pulled away from an 18-all tie by winning seven of the last nine points. Shank had two kills, Martineau one, and Melero an ace during the spurt.

Martineau, a three-time first-team all-league selection, had 18 kills and two aces. She attributed Redmond's late-season surge to togetherness.

``We really are friends, not necessarily best friends, but we're all on the same page,'' Martineau said. ``Instead of a lot of highs and lows, we stay mellow. We don't have a lot of drama.''

Martineau said she woke up at 8 a.m. Saturday and tried, but couldn't go back to sleep. Then, as the tournament schedule extended due to long matches earlier in the day, she ate three cupcakes in an attempt to feed some anxious energy.

Shank was ready too.

``I have never been more excited to do anything in my entire life,'' she said.

Exhausted Bulldogs fight back, earn No. 2 to state

Garfield staved off six match points, five via kills from standout Lillie Cohn, to give the Seattle schools their first state volleyball berth since 4A Kingco formed in 1997.

The Bulldogs (19-9) won three loser-out matches Saturday, including a 25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 20-25, 23-21 win over Woodinville to earn the league's No. 2 berth to state.

Garfield, which was 8-56 in 4A Kingco matches in its first five years in the league, even surprised coach Leslie Hamann.

``I figured this was still a building year,'' Hamann said. ``In my wildest dreams, I didn't think state yet. I am so proud of the girls. They played so well and came from so far down. It's beyond my expectations.''

The Bulldogs played 12 games Saturday. First, Garfield knocked out perennial power Bothell, then eliminated Ballard.

Cohn, who notched 59 total kills Saturday, had 24 against the Falcons. Cat Juson added 37 assists, Amanda Jamieson had 37 digs, and Alix Toothman had 10 blocks.

Woodinville was valiant in defeat. The Falcons (13-15) picked up wins against Eastlake and Lake Washington earlier in the week to reach the title match. Saturday, junior Kirsten Fass had 48 kills in Woodinville's two matches.