LYNDEN - Lynden Christian libero Erika Heystek said she certainly never expected to see fellow senior Jasmine Hommes playing alongside the defensive specialist in the back row, particularly in a vital Class 1A Northwest District Tournament match.
Yet that's just where the power-packed 6-foot-1 Hommes - perhaps the most feared outside hitter in the Northwest Conference - was stationed "in the match we knew we just had to win," as Heystek put it.
LC had a first-round bye at district on Saturday, Oct. 29, so "the match" was the one that could clinch a Tri-District Tournament berth for the Lyncs, who are seeking their 15th consecutive state appearance and 13th trophy under coach Kim Grycel.
With Hommes limited to returning the ball with aplomb - a shoulder/pectoral problem prevented her from swinging and serving - and providing her usual vocal leadership, the Lyncs rose to the occasion and swept fiesty Coupeville 25-19, 25-22, 25-17. LC (12-4), ranked sixth in the state, lost 25-19, 25-15, 25-8 to second-rated King's (17-0) in the title match as the Knights showed how they won 42 of 43 sets in the Cascade Conference.
It was also a huge day for Nooksack Valley (6-11), which earned its first Tri-District berth since 2008 with a marathon 25-22, 25-22, 19-25, 16-25, 15-13 victory to eliminate Coupeville in the third-place match. Coupeville beat Meridian (5-10) 12-25, 25-17, 25-16, 25-17 in a loser-out first-round match and King's beat Nooksack 25-19, 25-12, 25-10 in the semifinals. The Pioneers had a first-round bye.
Heystek was pumped about how well LC handled unexpected adversity.
"We all just worked our butts off," said Heystek, who left it all on the court with 24 digs and seemed to be everywhere at once. "We really played hard. We brought it all. Jasmine was still definitely a big factor and 'BZ' came through big."
"BZ" is Brielle VanZonneveld, a 6-3 middle hitter and one of LC's seven seniors. She blasted kill after kill past Coupeville and finished with 15. Sophomore outside hitter Karley De Jager contributed five kills, junior Cassie Mulder had four and sophomore Hanna Wynstra had three. Oh, yeah, some girl named Hommes managed three kills from the backcourt with accurate placements.
"We're hoping to have Jasmine back healthy on Thursday for our Tri-District Tournament first match," said Grycel. "We'll be at Vashon and we'll face a loser-out match against Charles Wright at 5 p.m. Then it becomes double-elimination and the winner will play Vashon (that night)."
VanZonneveld also had three blocks and three aces. Setter Alexa Vander Meulen, middle hitter Kayla Tiemersma and senior Brooke Van Dalen all made significant contributions as the Lyncs rallied from a 13-10 deficit in the third game against Coupeville to outscore the Wolves 15-4 the rest of the way.
"Jasmine leads us in everything," Grycel said of Hommes, who said she has verbally committed to play basketball at Montana State, "and she's our captain and vocal leader. So I'm really proud of how all the girls stepped up and played well. Brielle really stepped it up."
Grycel mentioned a "fun fact" pattern that she hopes continues: "Did you know that in the past four state tournaments, the team that finished lower in the title match at district finished higher at state?"
Meanwhile, second-year Nooksack coach Jenny Simmons was euphoric over her young team's five-set win over Coupeville, including a kill by sophomore Taryn Tenkley and a block by sophomore Lindsay Hayes for the final two points of the fifth set.
Sophomore McKenzie Impero had a match-high 21 kills and Tenkley had 10, while freshman defensive specialist Mariah Perry had 31 digs to go with consistently accurate placements by junior setter McKinna Larson and all-around play by sophomore Kylee Dekoekkoek and junior middle blocker Lindy Swanson.
"We've been in some close matches and we're improving," said Simmons. "This is such a meaningful win. To make it past this point is a huge mental leap for our young girls."
Coupeville powered home 10 kills among its 13 points in the fifth set, but it didn't seem to faze the Pioneers' poise. They trailed 12-10 when Hayes' kill and Impero's back-line kill tied it 12-12, followed by a Coupeville error and a kill by Coupeville's Bessie Walstad for a 13-all tie.
The Pioneers jumped out to a 4-1 lead but the taller and more muscular Wolves rallied with an extended series of power shots. The Pioneers, however, simply picked themselves up off the floor time after time and erupted in a deafening scream when Hayes made her match-ending block.
Simmons said she wasn't yet sure of her opponent and site Thursday. She just knows she has one excited bunch of young players on her hands.
