Westview Falls to Sprague in 6A Volleyball Title Game

Westview lost to Sprague 25-19, 25-21, and 25-12 in the 6A State Volleyball Championship on Saturday, November 7, at Forest Grove High School. The No. 5-seeded Wildcats fell to the No. 2-seeded Olympians in straight sets. Despite the loss, the team secured a second-place finish, which is the highest placement in the school's history.

The squad set a new benchmark by defeating the top-ranked Jesuit Crusaders in the semifinal match on Friday night. This victory broke a 56-game losing streak against the league rival, a record that had stood for 25 years. Before that win, Westview had defeated No. 4-seeded Grant in the quarterfinals. Coach Brandt noted that the previous best finish for the Wildcats was a fourth-place trophy taken home 25 years ago.

During the title game, Westview struggled to find rhythm early in the match. The team committed numerous service errors in the first set, which contributed to a narrow defeat. In the second set, the score was tied at 20-20 following a kill by senior co-captain Abbey Meier. Sprague then scored five of the next six points to take the set and establish a lead that Westview could not overcome. Brandt attributed the loss to unforced errors rather than a lack of effort.

"I think we were excited to play, we were ready to play, we were jazzed up, we just didn't have a good performance," Brandt said. "We missed too many serves in that first set. We couldn't really get a rhythm going, and we were trying to battle back and keep our spirits up, but I think Sprague just outplayed us, and they totally deserve this."

The semifinal victory over Jesuit was a defining moment for the Metro League runner-ups. Senior co-captain Abbey Meier described the match as a team effort where players did not act individually. "It was so exciting," Meier said. "I think we really showed out and showed up. We played as a team and didn't play individually. We played all together, and it really showed. And we did it."

Senior libero Mady Lebeck emphasized that the team had grown through the tournament. "We were definitely on a high last night as a team, and were so excited," Lebeck said. "It was so special for us to be able to get that win at state. We were like, 'whatever happens tonight, we fought and we grew.'"

The roster included several players who earned individual honors. Meier, Lebeck, and co-captain Ashlynn Pedersen received first team all-league honors. Middle blocker Live Clement was named to the second team all-league. In the tournament itself, Pedersen and Lebeck were selected for the First Team All-Tournament honors, while Bailey was a Second Team honoree. Jesuit's Marley Freeman and Cecily O'Sullivan also earned Second Team All-Tournament honors. The full Westview roster also included Caelan Ward, Audrey Perry, Mireya Rodriguez, Mira DeJong, Ellen Madsen, Logan Kekaualua, KK Borlaug, Iris Diaz, Dylon Daley, Leah Gorder, and Maru Nakayama.