WHITE SALMON — Columbia High School’s (CHS) volleyball team started its season in earnest last week, playing two regular matches and then participating in the 32-team Sundome Volleyball Festival in Yakima — on three successive days.
The results were mixed, with the Bruins winning their 2025 debut on the road at Battle Ground on Sept. 15 but losing their Trico League opener a day later against Kalama. A quick night of sleep and Coach Heidi Shultz’s squad traveled over the hill to Yakima for three pool play matches and two more bracketed play matches.
“By the end of the day, they were pretty tired,” the coach said. “I’m reminding them to bend their knees and …” Shultz added that her team played its best against King’s — one of the state’s top programs. “To compete [like we did] against those types of teams is encouraging.”
It’s also timely, because up next for Columbia is a 7 p.m. match Sept. 18 in White Salmon against La Center, last year’s fourth place team at the Class 1A state tournament.
“We won our [four-team] pool at Yakima; made it to the top bracket of eight teams,” Shultz added. “It was good to see that we’re in that group, competing with teams that went to state last year.
“Overall, I feel like we’re competing at a higher level than we were last year.”
That was clear in the 3-1 victory at Class 4A Battle Ground on Sept. 10, when the Bruins steadily building on leads in the first two sets en route to 25-13 and 25-12 wins. Battle Ground got a fast start in the third set behind strong serving to build a 12-2 lead. Columbia battled back, eventually taking the lead, 21-20, on a Kiana Chambers spike. But Battle Ground closed the set by scoring five of the next six points to earn the win.
The fourth set was in Columbia’s control throughout. Fiona Grabb helped the visitors build an early 9-3 lead with her service prowess. Later, a 20-16 lead quickly went to 23-16, forcing a Battle Ground timeout. The host Tigers clawed their way back somewhat, pulling within 23-19 before falling 25-20.
Columbia was on the losing end of a four-set match to open Trico play the next night. Shultz said her team needs to improve its passing so it can take advantage of a solid group of experienced hitters. That didn’t happen vs. Kalama, led by outside hitters Emily Capen and Zella Storedahl, and the Chinooks won 25-16, 25-23, 18-25, 25-17.
The turning point of the match may have come in the second set. Down one set, Columbia built a 23-19 lead but couldn’t close things out. Back-to-back Storedahl kill shots and some passing errors by the Bruins led to the set’s final points in favor of the Chinooks.
The Bruins did take care of business in the third set. With Mckenna Carlock dealing deep serves, it afforded Columbia some good offensive opportunities like Chambers’ kill shot giving the Bruins an 11-8 lead.
When Kalama was able to set up offensive plays, good defensive efforts — like Olivia Allen’s diving dig to thwart a Kalama kill attempt — led to Columbia building a 19-11 lead. Kalama made a modest 5-3 scoring run, but the Chinooks couldn’t handle Julia Mullinix’s two-handed bump to the back right corner and Columbia led 23-16 before winning by seven.
Kalama burst out to a quick lead in the fourth set, with Storedahl’s bump down the net giving the Chinooks a 9-2 advantage. At 10-3, Joella Posini had had enough, and she powered Bella Hamilton’s quick set through a Kalama block attempt. Kalama kept on the pressure, essentially not letting the Bruins sustain any extended runs, and won by eight points.
Shultz said the Sept. 12 tournament reinforced that her team must continue to work on defense and distributing cleaner passes that allow the hitters to attack rather than simply send free balls over the net.
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