League Capsules
Metro League
Favorites — Seattle Prep, Bishop Blanchet .
Players to watch — OH Ashley Berger, Sr., Bishop Blanchet; S Leah Jackson (league MVP as soph.), Sr., Seattle Prep; OH Tymmony Keegan, Sr., Seattle Prep; OH Jenica Leonard, Jr., Seattle Prep; S/OH Celeste Reilly, Sr., Holy Names; OH Andrea Pena, Sr., Ballard; OH Christina Young, So., Chief Sealth; OH Carson Cunningham, Sr., Bishop Blanchet; OH/DS Angelina Suitonu, Sr., Chief Sealth; OH Sarah Frazee, Sr., Bainbridge.
Outlook — Defending champ Seattle Prep and Bishop Blanchet are teams to beat. Holy Names looks like third best. Chief Sealth and Ballard will be in the mix. Newcomer Bainbridge should be the class of the second division and enter playoffs with strong momentum.
— Craig Smith
KingCo 3A
Favorite — Issaquah.
Contenders — Mercer Island, Newport, Cedarcrest, Mount Si.
Players to watch — S Breanna Eshgi, Jr., Newport; S Kristen Everett, Sr., Mount Si; OH Sarah Griswold, Sr., Liberty; S Danielle Leong, Sr., Issaquah; M Chelsea Lewis, Jr., Newport; OH Anne MacDougall, Sr., Mercer Island; S/OH/M Julia Rindlaub, Sr., Mercer Island; M Stephanie Sales, Sr., Mount Si; OH Andrea Wessel, Sr., Issaquah.
Outlook — Rindlaub is returning league MVP for Islanders, who have lost only two league matches in past three seasons. MI has impact freshman in Callie Webster. Issaquah OH Wessel and S Leong are a lethal combination. Defending champ Skyline lost all its starters.
— Danny O'Neil
KingCo 4A
Favorite — Inglemoor.
Contenders — Bothell, Woodinville, Eastlake, Redmond.
Players to watch — S Sarah Allen, Jr., Inglemoor; M Lissa Farnsworth, Sr., Eastlake; OH Lindsay Flowers, Jr., Juanita; OH Kendal Formo, Jr., Inglemoor; OH Jessica Holloway, Jr., Bothell; M Korey Moller, Sr., Bothell; OH Kelsey Radtke, Sr., Redmond; M Laura Washington, Jr., Garfield; M/OH Jenn Wokich, Sr., Woodinville; OH/S Julie Yarno, Sr., Redmond.
Outlook — Woodinville hasn't lost a regular-season league match since 1998, but graduated five starters from last year's league-title team. Inglemoor is the favorite even though Heather Anderson is the only senior in starting lineup. Bothell's only league losses the past four seasons were to Woodinville, and Cougars have a very strong middle hitter. Eastlake, Woodinville and Redmond are contenders and even Juanita could make noise.
— Danny O'Neil
WesCo 4A North
Favorite — Cascade.
Contenders — Stanwood, Marysville-Pilchuck, Snohomish.
Players to watch — MB LuAnn Anderson, Sr., Cascade; S Jenna Von Moos, Jr., Stanwood; OH/MB Megan Silver, Jr., Snohomish; S Katie Habich, Sr., Monroe; OH Micaela Parker, So., Marysville-Pilchuck; MB Lindsey Signer, Jr., Stanwood; MB Mariko Coverdale, Jr., Marysville-Pilchuck; S Valerie Hartman, Sr., Oak Harbor; OH Michelle Sullivan, Sr., Cascade; DS Priscilla Bernaola, Jr., Arlington.
Outlook — Cascade has nine returning players, two second-team all-WesCo 4A selections, and multi-sport athlete Alyssa Smoke. Marysville-Pilchuck has size and a good combination of youth and experience. Stanwood is considered the best team moving up from Class 3A. Snohomish, which welcomed Coach Shirley Seigel from Jackson this season, played well in preseason jamborees and tournaments.
— José Miguel Romero
WesCo 4A South
Favorite — Kamiak.
Contenders — Shorecrest, Shorewood, Edmonds-Woodway.
Players to watch — S Mira Dermendjieva, Sr., Meadowdale; MB Jennie Swerk, Sr., Meadowdale; S Kelly Herold, Sr., Shorecrest; OH/S Libby Hubbard, Jr., Shorewood; OH Lauren Marty, Sr., Meadowdale; MB Kelsey Voetmann, Jr., Mountlake Terrace; MB Heather Hetzer, Jr., Kamiak; DS Haley Shellhorn, Sr., Edmonds-Woodway; OH Michelle Dimitrov, Jr., Shorewood; MB Tiera Campbell, Jr., Mariner.
Outlook — Kamiak has possibly the league's best female athlete, Hetzer. Knights are relatively inexperienced. Shoreline schools should be competitive, with a number of players who played offseason club volleyball. Edmonds-Woodway and Mountlake Terrace will battle for a playoff spot. Meadowdale and Lynnwood will play in the South, but are competing for berths in the Northwest 3A District tournament.
— José Miguel Romero
SPSL North
Favorite — Kentlake.
Contenders — Auburn, Kentridge, Kentwood.
Players to watch — S/OH Courtney Thompson, Jr., Kentlake; MH Cameron Flunder, Jr., Kentlake; MH Krystal Knight, Sr., Sumner; OH Kelly Seaburg, Sr., Enumclaw; S Rachel Bermudez, Sr., Kentridge; MH Sarah Sommerman, Sr., Kentridge; S/OH Amy Goodnight, Sr., Kent-Meridian; OH Jamie Peterson, Sr., Kentwood; MH Katie Folden, Sr., Kentwood; OH Meghan Fagerberg, Sr., Auburn Riverside.
Outlook — Defending 4A state champion Kentlake is the clear favorite, but coaches expect a logjam after the Falcons, with nearly every other team considered a playoff threat. Auburn, coming off a rare losing season, doesn't have any real standouts, but should be as solid as anyone. Athletic Enumclaw and Auburn Riverside could be darkhorses.
— Sandy Ringer
SPSL South
Favorite — Puyallup.
Contenders — Bethel, Emerald Ridge, Decatur.
Players to watch — MH Katie McGinn, MH, Puyallup; OH Stevie Mussie, Jr., Puyallup; MH Christal Morrison, So., Puyallup; S Corrinne Chapin, Sr., Bethel; MH Karla Gubany, Jr., Bethel; MH Kara Gubany, Jr., Bethel; OH Jessica Brodie, Jr., Emerald Ridge; S Megan Tevas, Sr., Emerald Ridge; MH Cristina Null, Sr., Decatur; MH April Lee, Sr., Rogers.
Outlook — Puyallup could have something special, opposing coaches say — special enough to make waves at state. Bethel should be next in line, but Emerald Ridge and Decatur could upset the order. Curtis and Rogers might have outside shots, too.
— Sandy Ringer
Seamount King Division
Favorites — Kennedy, Mount Rainier.
Contenders — Highline, Lindbergh.
Players to watch — S Nikki Porter, Sr., Kennedy; MH Michelle Aurelio, Sr., Kennedy; OH Christina Hengtgen, Sr., Kennedy; S Emily Melver, Jr., Mount Rainier; OH Jaime Anderson, Jr., Mount Rainier; MH Molly Hornbuckle, Sr., Highline; MH Sara Monahan, Sr., Mount Rainier; MH Melissa Rutherford, Sr., Lindbergh.
Outlook — Kennedy goes for its 12th league title in 13 seasons with another deep, talented team. Mount Rainier, '98 champ, is top threat to knock Kennedy from top. Lancers have first-team all-league players Porter and Aurelio back. Rams return first-teamers Melver and Anderson.
— Matt Massey
Seamount Pierce Division
Favorite — Fife.
Contenders — White River, Washington, Lakes, Peninsula.
Players to watch — OH Michelle Weydert, So., Washington; OH Lindsey Aspelund, Sr., Fife; OH Darcy Scheidt, Sr., Fife; MH Lyntricia Dent, Sr., Lakes; S Desiree Koke, Sr., Lakes; S Collese Dornan, So., Fife; MH Kyla Wytko, Jr., White River; MB Nikki Booker, Sr., Clover Park.
Outlook — Fife has seven players back, including three-year starters Scheidt and Aspelund. Dornan, a left-handed setter, already has a 41-assist, 9-kill performance in a victory over Auburn Riverside. White River retains just one player from last year's eighth-place state-tournament team.
— Matt Massey