Springdale's State Run Ends One Win Shy of Trophy Round After Strong Showing in Yakima

The Springdale Chargers wrapped up an impressive season at the State 1B Volleyball Tournament on Nov. 13, finishing 14-8 after a two-day run that included a commanding first-round win, a gritty quarterfinal appearance, and a hard-fought battle in the consolation bracket.

“I felt really good about the bracket going in,” Springdale head coach Matt Gines said. “I felt that my team was playing well ending the season in our tournament play and felt we matched up very well with our opponents.”

Gines said the pressure of a state tournament was his worry, considering the young players on his roster, including his setters. He did, however, feel like the weekend could turn into a big run through the bracket.

Springdale opened the tournament Nov. 12, with a poised four-set victory over Northwest Christian (NWC), earning their way into the state quarterfinals.

The Chargers took the first set 25-17 after holding narrow leads at 10-10, 17-15 and 20-16, pushing ahead with steady serving and strong attacking. NWC responded in the second, jumping out to leads of 9-1 and 20-13 before taking the set 25-15.

The match turned again in the third, where Springdale erased deficits of 12-11 and 17-14 before storming back to win 25-20. The Chargers closed out the match in dominant fashion, rolling out to leads of 12-5, 19-9, and ultimately taking the set 25-13 to move into the quarterfinals.

Junior Kaylin Gines led the way with 25 kills while Kazlin Rainer notched 10 kills.

“Our energy was simply unmatched,” Rainer said.

Gines also dished out an incredible 10 aces in the matchup. Rainer, meanwhile, menaced the net with four total blocks.

Kameron Cloninger dished out 18 assists as a freshman, while Addisyn Matherly Stricker had 14 assists.

This advanced Springdale into the quarterfinal on Nov. 12, Springdale came out swinging against Fellowship Christian, holding leads of 10-8, 15-10, and 21-20 in the opening frame. But Fellowship closed the set on a late run to win 25-22, then carried that momentum into the next two sets, taking them 25-17 and 25-14.

“The defining moments I felt in this tournament were the first sets in both the second and third matches,” Gines said. “We had a good lead in both of our first sets and were not able to finish, which allowed doubt to creep into the youth of my team. I feel that if we would have been able to win those first sets, we would have won both matches.”

Gines and Rainer again led the assault with Gines posting 11 kills and Rainer having nine. Trinity Farnsworth also had four aces.

Rainer posted four blocks again, while Gines anchored the back row during rotation with 10 digs and received 22 serves from Fellowship Christian. Farnsworth also had five digs. Cloninger set nine assists up while Matherly-Stricker had seven. 

Despite the loss, Springdale’s early pressure highlighted the competitive edge the Chargers brought to Yakima –a theme that carried into the elimination match on Nov. 13.

With a trophy-bracket berth on the line, Springdale met Wilbur-Creston-Keller (WCK) in one of the tournament’s most competitive consolation matches. The Lady Chargers had defeated them twice in the regular season, but both had already had competitive days of volleyball under their belts and this was a morning matchup with plenty on the line. 

Springdale led much of the first set – up 11-8, 14-8, 19-16 – before WCK rallied late to tie the score at 23-23 and edge out a 27-25 win.

WCK carried that energy into the second set, building leads of 11-4 and 20-10 before claiming a 25-14 victory.

The Chargers refused to bow out quietly. Springdale dominated the third set, charging ahead 5-3, 14-9 and 21-12 before finishing with a decisive 25-15 win.

But WCK responded in the fourth, jumping ahead 7-4 and 13-4. Springdale closed the gap to 18-14, but WCK held firm, taking the set 25-18 and ending Springdale’s tournament run just short of the medal round.

“We felt we were the better team in both of those matches,” Kaylin Gines said. “However we learned that we need to do a better job of staying together and keeping our energy and positivity up.”

Gines had 14 kills in the matchup, while Rainer had five and Ashlynn-Mae Ford had six. At the service stripe, Gines sent seven aces over the net while Rainer had three. The two also combined for 10 blocks in the matchup. Gines again led the team with 19 digs, while Farnsworth was also very solid with 16 digs. Senior Aubrey Ferguson also played a great defensive match in her final game as a Lady Charger with 12 digs.

Gines also dished out 13 assists, while Ford and Matherly-Stricker each had five assists. 

While the loss ended their push for hardware, Springdale’s 14-8 season reflects one of the program’s strongest years in the past decade.

“I felt coming into the season that we had talent, but was not sure how our youth and lack of experience would impact us,” Gines said. “We had a lot of ups and downs but in the end, had a very successful season. We are a bit disappointed that we did not place, but it really has motivated us going into next year.”

Springdale will return everyone except their one graduating senior next year, meaning they’ll essentially have a full roster with state experience.

“I really feel that we will be extremely dangerous next season,” Gines said. “This was a great season for our young kids to grow up and get the experience they needed for next season and know what we need to work on.”