Coaches Tim Richards and Gary Carr are putting the Wood River High School volleyball team through its final drills this week leading up to the State 4A tournament starting Friday, Oct. 27 in Kimberly.
Richards said, "We'll go down and play our game and do what we can do. We view it like we have the players, so it's not about the other team—it's about us. It's all about momentum and confidence at state.
"You have to play your best four matches at state. You have to play consistent and tough and you can't give anything away. You have to make the other team earn everything.
"We've been talking to the girls all year about this season being a door of opportunity for them—an opportunity to win."
Wood River qualified for its 19th trip to the state tournament, but its first since 2003, by winning the Hailey school's 19th district volleyball championship over Burley last Tuesday to wrap up the four-school Great Basin West Conference tournament at the Hailey gym.
But, a hard-fought four-game loss to host Preston in the state-seeding conference championship match Thursday was something of a setback.
It meant that Wood River drew Third District champion Skyview in the opening round of the double elimination State 4A tournament, and that Preston drew Third District third-place finisher Emmett.
Unbeaten Skyview (17-0), riding the kills of Carly Dranginis and Kayla Van Komen, knocked off Kuna in three games of Thursday's district championship. Skyview, second to Moscow last year at state, is seeking its first title.
Richards said, "We saw Skyview at the Borah tournament. They're a big school and have their pick of girls. As a team they are steady, well-coached and have some experience. We'll have to use our enthusiasm against them."
Wood River, led by senior co-captains Elissa Baker and Casey Vegwert, is proud of its own experience. The Wolverines have played in three tough tournaments this fall—in Pocatello Sept. 1-2, at the Wood River Invitational Sept. 16, and at the Borah Invitational Oct. 6-7 in Boise. They've generally fared well against 4A schools and had a tougher time against the 5A teams they've played.
Rounding out the deep and versatile Wood River team are seniors Kelsey Lidstrom and Leah McIlhenny; juniors Hannah Ward, Lauren Morgenthaler, Hannah Gove, Currie Arnold and Carly Ballantyne; sophomores Angela Coleman, Kaylee Baker and Dani Stone.
About the recent loss at Preston, Richards said, "You know if you look at the statistics, we didn't play our best against Preston and we were still right there—winning the first game, having a big lead in the third.
"I've told the girls—you don't have to play perfect, but you do have to be excellent to win a state championship."
