King's retools for another run at 1A title

By Tony Dondero
Enterprise reporter

It will be a much different King's volleyball team this year, but the Knights could be in the hunt again for a 1A state title in November.

The last two years, King's has finished third at state after losses to Colfax in the semifinals. Last year, Colfax won an epic battle that went five games.

"That game is totally fresh for us," junior Anna Cesari said. "We watch tape of it."

But this year, Colfax has moved down to Class 2B, so the Bulldogs won't be standing in the way of a King's title run this time. But at the same time ,the Knights will be without their talented outside hitters Kailey Trautmann and Bianca Rowland, who are playing at Northwest Nazarene and the University of Washington respectively. Coach Steve Bain doesn't believe they can be replaced.

"Each team is going to develop it's own character," he said. "I don't want them to be Kailey and Bianca. They're good players in their own right. The thing we try to do is develop their individual skills."

The returning players include 6-2 senior middle blocker Jordan Irish, 5-9 senior outside hitter Laura Friar, 5-6 senior libero Megan Foote and 5-6 senior defensive specialist Ann Peters. Friar has an injured right thumb and will be out the first couple weeks of the season, Friar said.

"One of the strengths of this group is that we're a good defenseive team," "They just don't want to let the ball hit the floor."

Meanwhiile, Cesari, the team's setter is "the one that makes the system go," Bain said. "It's hard to believe she's only a junior. She's got to be one of the top setters not only in our conference but in the area."

"She's become a lot stronger in terms of being able to push the ball outside greater distances," Bain said. "The other thing about Anna is she makes really good decisions on the court."

The Knights also have 5-7 senior Rosy Boggs at outside hitter and 5-10 junior transfer DeeDee Kirton who came over from Jackson. Kirton will play right away since there were no issues with her transfer, Bain said.

Allison McConnaughey, a 5-9 junior right-side hitter, Jennifer Dame, a 5-11 middle blocker and Tina Boggs, a junior defensive specialist round out the roster. Eight of the 10 Knights play club volleyball.

Bain is using much of what University of Washington coach Jim McLaughlin teaches in his Gold Medal Squared system. The statistical analysis it uses makes sense to Bain, a scientist who is a research professor at UW.

"We're comfortable with it, but there's so much we need to memorize," Cesari said.

The team is built for a state run and even with Colfax out of the mix, Bain expects good competition from teams like Goldendale, Connell and Chelan. King's was ranked third in a preseason poll.

"You have to go over there, and you have to play four really good matches," Bain said. "If you let down for a minute you're going to be in a consolation game. That was the difference between Colfax and us, that edge they have from being in that siatuion so many times."

"If we stay healthy, this team is going to be physically talented," Bain said. "The toughest thing to replace from last year's team is the leadership. We had some really good leadership. Trautmann led that team for two years really. She had that ability to take a team and put it on her back and carry it. We're going to miss that. That's one of the things we have to replace is that leadership."

The players think they have what it takes.

"Mentally, we're stronger," said the senior Friar. "We all have the work ethic to win and we're determined."