Northport Battles Through Grueling Day at State

The Northport Mustangs were guaranteed just one match at the State 1B Volleyball Tournament last week, but by the end of Nov. 12, they had played three times in a grueling 12-hour stretch inside the Yakima SunDome.

Head coach Shyanne Guglielmino said the team knew it drew a tough path from the start.

“We got a pretty tough seed and the bracket had us playing the number-one seed, Oakesdale,” she said. “We knew it would be a challenge, but we just wanted to play our best volleyball and be proud of our performance no matter what the outcome was.”

Northport opened the tournament at 8 a.m. against Willapa Valley – a time slot Guglielmino said had her expecting a slow start. But the Mustangs came out sharp, taking the opener 25-22 after breaking a 16-16 tie. They pushed past an 11-8 deficit in the second set to win 25-20, then stayed steady in the third, turning a narrow lead into a 25-20 victory and a sweep.

Guglielmino said she was impressed by how her team responded early.

“Showing up at 7 a.m. for our 8 a.m. matchup and winning 3-0 was huge for us,” she said. “I expected to potentially drop a set due to a slow start… I was proud that they played so well.”

Eighth-grader Liesel Stark led the team with nine kills, while sophomore Kate Beardslee had eight kills and Kylie Colton notched six. Six different players for Northport had at least one ace from the service stripe.

Freshman Brooklyn Wilson had 12 digs in the match, while Colton added eight and Beardslee had six. Beardslee also had five blocks. Dalilah Colton notched 14 assists in the match.

The reward for advancing was facing powerhouse Oakesdale, the top seed and eventual title contender. Northport battled but couldn’t slow the Gorillas’ rhythm, falling 25-12, 25-13, 25-14.

Guglielmino said that matchup offered valuable lessons.

“I think playing Oakesdale was a big moment for us,” she said. “They were by far the best team we played all year and the girls learned a lot.”

Beardslee led the team with 10 kills while Stark had four. Beardslee also had three blocks. Wilson led the team in digs again with six digs, and Beardslee added four. Dalilah Colton distributed 15 assists in the match.

With little downtime, Northport headed into a loser-out match against Naselle. Fatigue showed and the Mustangs fell behind early in the first set and lost 25-16. In the second set, they briefly surged ahead 13-10 before Naselle rallied late for a 25-21 win. The third set stayed competitive, but Northport came up short 25-22.

Guglielmino said the long day played a role.

“It was definitely a long day,” she said. “I do think we played flat in our third game and I think a big factor was the long day.”

Beardslee had nine kills and Stark had three. Beardslee also attacked the net with five blocks, while defending her side of the court with eight digs. Wilson continued her impressive defensive tournament performance with 10 digs, and Kylie Colton had six digs. Dalilah Colton had 11 assists.

Guglielmino praised Beardslee for her all-around effort.

“We lean on Kate a lot. She is our most consistent player in every rotation,” she said. “She can swing, block, set, dig, serve – you name it, she can do it. She did her job exceptionally well during the tournament.”

She also highlighted the poise of Beardslee and Kylie Colton, the only Mustangs with previous state experience.

“I put a lot of expectations on them to stay calm and encourage their team,” she said. “They both did very well at this.”

The team’s seniors – Dalilah Colton, Kylie Colton, Makaila Hackenberg – played a crucial role in shaping the program’s identity, Guglielmino added,

“These seniors have been a part of the program for several years and have shown the younger girls how important it is to work hard and be coachable,” she said.

Northport finished the season 18-7 overall; an achievement Guglielmino said exceeded her expectations after graduating key contributors last year.

“Overall, I was very happy with the season,” she said. “My expectations were a bit more reserved going into this season and this team far exceeded those expectations.”

Despite the exhausting day in Yakima, she said her players left the tournament more experienced, more confident, and proud of what they accomplished.

“I have worked really hard over the last eight seasons to build up this program and create a winning culture,” Guglielmino said. “We missed out on the state tournament last season, so these girls were especially hungry this season.”