Posted: Nov 26, 2021
Raiders Capture 3rd Place at NWAC Championships
For the third time in as many full seasons, the Raider Volleyball team entered the NWAC post season as one of the favorites to make a run for the conference championship title. And, for the third straight time, the Raiders finished just short of their goal of bringing home the champion's trophy - this time taking 3rd Place overall. The team also took3rd Place in 2018, and earned their highest finish ever in 2019, taking 2nd Place as the runner-up's to the Spokane Sasquatch.
Despite the changes that were made to the 2021 playoff format, the NWAConce again, brought the best teams in the Pacific Northwest to their championship tournament stage, this year on the campus of Pierce College. From the four Regional qualifying events that took place the weekend before, the Elite8 was certainly the best of the NWAC's best. The North dominated the field, bringing four teams to the tournament; league champs the Bellevue Bulldogs, along with the Skagit Valley Cardinals, Edmonds Tritons, and the Whatcom Orcas. The South was represented by undefeated league champs, and the conference's top-ranked team the Linn-Benton Roadrunners, joined by league runners-up the Lane Titans. The Spokane Sasquatch were the lone team from the East Region, and the host Raiders were the sole representatives from the West.
Tournament Re-Cap:
Day 1 - November 19 - First Round Match vs Lane Titans
The Raiders entered championship weekend as the #2 seed from the West Regional, and opened the tournament against the East Regional's #1 seed, the Lane Titans, who finished in second place in the South's regular season play. Pierce started strong, taking the first set 25-23. The first set loss woke up the Titans who went on take the next three sets, and the match, dropping the Raiders into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination tournament. Moeshana Maiavaled the Raiders' offense with 15 kills, supported by Dominique Dizon with 14 kills and Brianna Ingram with 12 kills. Kaya Anderson quarterbacked the Raiders offense, collecting 44 assists. Aureana Bernalesled theRaiders' defense with 20 digs, followed by Saisha Morales with 10 digs, and Baylee Blau with 9 digs. The team's typically strong front line was only able to muster 4 blocks on the day - a season low.
Score: 1-3; 25-23, 24-26, 23-25, 19-25
Day 1 - November 19 - Second RoundMatch vs Spokane Sasquatch
The Raiders started their trek up through the loser's bracket nearly 2 hours later than the advertised start of the last match of theday. Their opponent, the Sasquatch of the Community Colleges of Spokane, lost their first round match to Skagit Valley. Pierce was the team to start slow this time, dropping the first set 23-25. A quick pep talk by Coach Greg Finellit a fire under the Raiders who came out and dominated Spokane for three straight sets;25-19, 25-8, 25-8. Moeshana Maiava led the Raiders with 13 kills and 8 digs, Dominique Dizon had 11 kills, Brianna Ingram had 8 kills and 4 blocks, and Addie Downs had 7 kills. Freshman setter Raedyn Goudreaugot the Raider offense rolling with a great overall performance, dishing out 43 assists, collecting 10 digs, serving 2 aces, and helping the front line with 4 blocks. Alyssa Sangster, playing for the injured Aureana Bernales, led the defensive back row with 23 digs, whle Yasmyne Valladares and Saisha Morales each had12 digs. The front line was led by Makenna Mosher's 6 blocks, and had a team total of 19 blocks. As a team Pierce had a team hitting percentage of .244, against Spokane's -.020.
Score: 3-1; 23-25, 25-19, 25-8, 25-8
Day 2 - November 20 - Third Round Match vs Edmonds Tritons
Pierce's first match on Saturday was a rematch of the twoteams who came out of the West Regional qualifier. Edmonds who earned the #1 seed from the West qualifier by beating the Raiders, 3-2, finished North Region play in second place with a 9-3 record, 23-8 overall. The teams traded wins in the first two sets, with the Raiders taking the opener 25-20, and the Tritons repaying the favor in the second set 20-25. Pierce came out like a house afire in the third set, winning 25-10, then closing out the match with a solid 25-22 win. Moeshana Maiava once again led the Raiders offense with 17 kills, and collected 4 blocks, whileAddie Downs had 10 kills and 3 blocks. Brianna Ingram had 8 kills and a team-high 7 blocks, and Makenna Mosher and Dominique Dizon each had 7 kills. Raedyn Goudreauhad another sollid performance with 44 assists and 7 digs. Alyssa Sangsterled the defensive back line with 21 digs. Baylee Blau and Yasmyne Valladareseach had 13 digs, and Saisha Morales had 10 digs. The front line was dominant again, collecting a total of 20 blocks. The Raiders out hit the Tritons, .174 to .074.
Score: 3-1; 25-20, 20-25, 25-10, 25-22
Day 2 - November 20 - Fourth Round Match vs Lane Titans
The last match of Day 2 featured a rematch of the tournament opener, as the Raiders once again faced the Lane Titans - this time with 'loser-go-home' on the line. In the rematch, the Raiders wasted no time in putting the Titans on the defensive and not letting up. Pierce defeatedLane ina decisive 3 set sweep, 25-16, 25-14, 25-19, sending the Titans home for the season. Moeshana Maiavahad 10 kills and 4 blocks, Addie Downs and Dominique Dizon each had 8 kills, Brianna Ingram had 6 kills and 5 blocks, and Makenna Mosher had 5 blocks. Raedyn Goudreauhad 34 assists and 7 digs, Alyssa Sangster had 17 digs, and Saisha Morales 10 digs. The Raiders' front line had a team total of 16 blocks, and Pierce out hit the Titans, .250 to .050. The victory advanced Pierce to the semi-final round of the final three teams for the third consecutive tournament.
Score: 3-0; 25-16, 25-14, 25-19
Day 3 - November 21 - Semi-Final Match vs Skagit Valley Cardinals
The semi-final match pitted a depleted and wearyRaider line-up against the nine-player roster of the Cardinals. Pierce, who had played until after midnight the previous two days lost two starters to injury (Kaya Anderson and Aureana Bernales), while Dominique Dizon and Saisha Morales were both nursing various ailments. Despite the adversity, the two teams played what may be remembered as one of the greatest semi-final matches in the history of the tournament. The Cardinals took the first set, 21-25, before the Raiders bounded back to take set #2, 25-18. From here, things got interesting. Set 3 also went to the Raider 28-26. The 'overtime' was just a sample of what was to come. The fourth set will always be remembered as the one the Raiders let get away. Starting at 24-23, Pierce had 9 match point opportunities, but were unable to put the scrappy Cardinals away, eventually losing 32-34. Skagit Valley went on to take the fifth and decisive set, 10-15. Moeshana Maiavahad a monster night with 23 kills, 5 blocks, and 9 digs. Dominique Dizonwas the other big gun up front with 18 kills. Brianna Ingram had 11 kills and a team-high 7 blocks. Raedyn Goudreauhad a tournament high 55 assists, and added 11 digs. Alyssa Sangsterled the Raiders back line with 32 digs, with Yasmyne Valladaresadding 27 digs, and Baylee Blau collecting 18 digs. The Raiders had a total of 19 blocks.
Score: 2-3; 21-25, 25-18, 28-26, 32-34, 10-15
The Raiders finished the regular season with a perfect12-0 record, 28-6 overall. This was the third time in the past four season (three straight, not counting last Spring's amended COVID season) that the Raiders swept the West Division without a loss, winningtheir fourth straight league title (2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021). Thestreak ties the program's previous record of 4 consecutive divisiontitles, from 1997-2000.
Moeshana Maiava was named to the NWAC All-Tournament First Team, and Baylee Blauwas selected to the All-Tournament Second Team.
Despite the changes that were made to the 2021 playoff format, the NWAConce again, brought the best teams in the Pacific Northwest to their championship tournament stage, this year on the campus of Pierce College. From the four Regional qualifying events that took place the weekend before, the Elite8 was certainly the best of the NWAC's best. The North dominated the field, bringing four teams to the tournament; league champs the Bellevue Bulldogs, along with the Skagit Valley Cardinals, Edmonds Tritons, and the Whatcom Orcas. The South was represented by undefeated league champs, and the conference's top-ranked team the Linn-Benton Roadrunners, joined by league runners-up the Lane Titans. The Spokane Sasquatch were the lone team from the East Region, and the host Raiders were the sole representatives from the West.
Tournament Re-Cap:
Day 1 - November 19 - First Round Match vs Lane Titans
The Raiders entered championship weekend as the #2 seed from the West Regional, and opened the tournament against the East Regional's #1 seed, the Lane Titans, who finished in second place in the South's regular season play. Pierce started strong, taking the first set 25-23. The first set loss woke up the Titans who went on take the next three sets, and the match, dropping the Raiders into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination tournament. Moeshana Maiavaled the Raiders' offense with 15 kills, supported by Dominique Dizon with 14 kills and Brianna Ingram with 12 kills. Kaya Anderson quarterbacked the Raiders offense, collecting 44 assists. Aureana Bernalesled theRaiders' defense with 20 digs, followed by Saisha Morales with 10 digs, and Baylee Blau with 9 digs. The team's typically strong front line was only able to muster 4 blocks on the day - a season low.
Score: 1-3; 25-23, 24-26, 23-25, 19-25
Day 1 - November 19 - Second RoundMatch vs Spokane Sasquatch
The Raiders started their trek up through the loser's bracket nearly 2 hours later than the advertised start of the last match of theday. Their opponent, the Sasquatch of the Community Colleges of Spokane, lost their first round match to Skagit Valley. Pierce was the team to start slow this time, dropping the first set 23-25. A quick pep talk by Coach Greg Finellit a fire under the Raiders who came out and dominated Spokane for three straight sets;25-19, 25-8, 25-8. Moeshana Maiava led the Raiders with 13 kills and 8 digs, Dominique Dizon had 11 kills, Brianna Ingram had 8 kills and 4 blocks, and Addie Downs had 7 kills. Freshman setter Raedyn Goudreaugot the Raider offense rolling with a great overall performance, dishing out 43 assists, collecting 10 digs, serving 2 aces, and helping the front line with 4 blocks. Alyssa Sangster, playing for the injured Aureana Bernales, led the defensive back row with 23 digs, whle Yasmyne Valladares and Saisha Morales each had12 digs. The front line was led by Makenna Mosher's 6 blocks, and had a team total of 19 blocks. As a team Pierce had a team hitting percentage of .244, against Spokane's -.020.
Score: 3-1; 23-25, 25-19, 25-8, 25-8
Day 2 - November 20 - Third Round Match vs Edmonds Tritons
Pierce's first match on Saturday was a rematch of the twoteams who came out of the West Regional qualifier. Edmonds who earned the #1 seed from the West qualifier by beating the Raiders, 3-2, finished North Region play in second place with a 9-3 record, 23-8 overall. The teams traded wins in the first two sets, with the Raiders taking the opener 25-20, and the Tritons repaying the favor in the second set 20-25. Pierce came out like a house afire in the third set, winning 25-10, then closing out the match with a solid 25-22 win. Moeshana Maiava once again led the Raiders offense with 17 kills, and collected 4 blocks, whileAddie Downs had 10 kills and 3 blocks. Brianna Ingram had 8 kills and a team-high 7 blocks, and Makenna Mosher and Dominique Dizon each had 7 kills. Raedyn Goudreauhad another sollid performance with 44 assists and 7 digs. Alyssa Sangsterled the defensive back line with 21 digs. Baylee Blau and Yasmyne Valladareseach had 13 digs, and Saisha Morales had 10 digs. The front line was dominant again, collecting a total of 20 blocks. The Raiders out hit the Tritons, .174 to .074.
Score: 3-1; 25-20, 20-25, 25-10, 25-22
Day 2 - November 20 - Fourth Round Match vs Lane Titans
The last match of Day 2 featured a rematch of the tournament opener, as the Raiders once again faced the Lane Titans - this time with 'loser-go-home' on the line. In the rematch, the Raiders wasted no time in putting the Titans on the defensive and not letting up. Pierce defeatedLane ina decisive 3 set sweep, 25-16, 25-14, 25-19, sending the Titans home for the season. Moeshana Maiavahad 10 kills and 4 blocks, Addie Downs and Dominique Dizon each had 8 kills, Brianna Ingram had 6 kills and 5 blocks, and Makenna Mosher had 5 blocks. Raedyn Goudreauhad 34 assists and 7 digs, Alyssa Sangster had 17 digs, and Saisha Morales 10 digs. The Raiders' front line had a team total of 16 blocks, and Pierce out hit the Titans, .250 to .050. The victory advanced Pierce to the semi-final round of the final three teams for the third consecutive tournament.
Score: 3-0; 25-16, 25-14, 25-19
Day 3 - November 21 - Semi-Final Match vs Skagit Valley Cardinals
The semi-final match pitted a depleted and wearyRaider line-up against the nine-player roster of the Cardinals. Pierce, who had played until after midnight the previous two days lost two starters to injury (Kaya Anderson and Aureana Bernales), while Dominique Dizon and Saisha Morales were both nursing various ailments. Despite the adversity, the two teams played what may be remembered as one of the greatest semi-final matches in the history of the tournament. The Cardinals took the first set, 21-25, before the Raiders bounded back to take set #2, 25-18. From here, things got interesting. Set 3 also went to the Raider 28-26. The 'overtime' was just a sample of what was to come. The fourth set will always be remembered as the one the Raiders let get away. Starting at 24-23, Pierce had 9 match point opportunities, but were unable to put the scrappy Cardinals away, eventually losing 32-34. Skagit Valley went on to take the fifth and decisive set, 10-15. Moeshana Maiavahad a monster night with 23 kills, 5 blocks, and 9 digs. Dominique Dizonwas the other big gun up front with 18 kills. Brianna Ingram had 11 kills and a team-high 7 blocks. Raedyn Goudreauhad a tournament high 55 assists, and added 11 digs. Alyssa Sangsterled the Raiders back line with 32 digs, with Yasmyne Valladaresadding 27 digs, and Baylee Blau collecting 18 digs. The Raiders had a total of 19 blocks.
Score: 2-3; 21-25, 25-18, 28-26, 32-34, 10-15
The Raiders finished the regular season with a perfect12-0 record, 28-6 overall. This was the third time in the past four season (three straight, not counting last Spring's amended COVID season) that the Raiders swept the West Division without a loss, winningtheir fourth straight league title (2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021). Thestreak ties the program's previous record of 4 consecutive divisiontitles, from 1997-2000.
Moeshana Maiava was named to the NWAC All-Tournament First Team, and Baylee Blauwas selected to the All-Tournament Second Team.