The Lakeland Hawks took 4th place in the 4A volleyball state tournament in Post Falls, ID.
The Lakeland Hawks (21-8-1, 6-2) faced off against multiple opponents on Oct. 27-28.
In game one, the Hawks played number seven seed Canyon Ridge (16-7, 12-3). The second-seeded Hawks swept the Riverhawks in three sets, 25-21, 25-16, and 27-25.
The Hawks dominated throughout the whole match due to everyone’s help, and they were able to knock off Canyon Ridge.
“I feel like we played strong against Canyon Ridge and dictated the tempo of the game, and it was a great game for us,” junior Ziya Munyer said.
Landree Simon led the team in kills, tallying up 11 with seven digs. Munyer had nine kills, Olivia Zazuetta had 19 assists, and Addy Hocking had 17 digs.
“We knew what we had to do and what had to be done, and we showed that when we came out and played. I felt that everyone was playing their best, and the chemistry was insane,” Simon said.
There are other components not a part of the game that assist the Hawks in performing well, one of these being music. When asked about the best pregame song, senior Lila Kiefer said that she listens to “God’s Plan” by Drake.
Practice leading up to the playoffs was intense, and the players were locked in and ready to play their best ball.
“Practice was good, and we focused on fixing some areas we were lacking and struggling at,” Kiefer said.
In the quarterfinals of the playoffs, the Hawks went to battle with the #4 seed Skyview Hawks (29-6, 12-0). The Hawks were swept by Skyview, 17-25, 12-25, and 15-25.
Terzulli led the team with 10 assists, Zazuetta had eight assists, and Munyer had five kills.
“Although we lost, I still feel like we went out there and competed and gave them the best game we could. Congrats to that team; they are very disciplined and good,” sophomore Alyssa Ryckman said.
Although Lakeland fell short against Skyview, Lakeland gave them the best game that they could have played.
“I believe we performed well against Skyview. We were obviously aware that they were a very talented and gifted team,” Simon said. “I believe we started the game nervous because we got caught up with how good they were. We started playing as real as we normally do towards the end of the game, but it was too late, and they took it from us.”
Skyview eventually took home the 4A state title. They did not lose one set the whole tournament and outscored opponents 300-193.
Lakeland then was set up to play against the #5 seed Skyline Grizzlies (26-19, 6-4). This game was a big one for the Hawks as it was a win-or-go-home game. The Hawks won in 4 sets, 25-22, 18-25, 25-17, 25-19.
Hocking had a career-high of 38 digs, Munyer and Simon combined for 24 kills, having 12 each, Zazuetta and Terzulli combined for 36 assists, tallying 18 each, and Kiefer had 21 digs.
The Hawks knew that their season depended on this game, so they were ready to win despite the cost. Going into the game, they were prepared and locked in, and any spectator could see that.
After losing the second set, the Hawks were not going to let up whatsoever. The student section cheered loudly and made their presence known in the gym.
The Hawks took this game from Skyline and moved forward into the semifinals.
The Hawks then set off to face against the #1 seed Bonneville Bees (41-5, 10-0). The winner of this game would go to face off against Pocatello in the semi-finals, in which the winner of that game would play Skyview for the 4A state championship.
The Hawks came out with a lot of energy and were within striking distance of taking home the first match, but unfortunately fell to the Bees 21-25.
Going into the second game, the Hawks challenged the Bees the whole time but once again didn’t have enough to match what Bonneville was doing.
During the third match, the Hawks were down 2-0, which did not help their confidence levels. Momentum is a big factor and can help a team and the players greatly.
The Hawks gave it their all but once again fell short in the last set. Although the Hawks were defeated, they still had a successful and long season. In the end, the Hawks even brought home some hardware, placing fourth in Idaho’s 4A classification.
