For the fourth consecutive year, Bend High has reached the volleyball state tournament after a dominant showing Saturday in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.

In a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal matchup, the fourth-seeded Lava Bears pounced all over No. 13 West Albany, winning 3-0 (25-7, 25-23, 25-18) to head back to the 5A state tournament at Forest Grove High School, set for this Friday and Saturday.

“We went into this game really humble and ready to fight, and we delivered,” said Bend High outside hitter Jasi Kjellesvik. “It was so fun watching our team show our work ethic on the court and it was an all-out, super-fun game.”

“We have been working hard all week,” added senior outside hitter Lucy Schuller. “We completed our goals. We wanted to win in three sets, and we did. We have been working so hard for this day.”

Bend coach Kristin Cooper said that before the match the team had a chat about the senior class and what they have contributed to the program over the past four years.

“Each and every lower-level girl talked about how the seniors always give to the team,” Cooper said. “And that it has never felt like it has been for them or there was a separation (between the seniors and lower classmen). When you get to this point of the season, that connection that you have is really hard to break. I think what we were able to execute was a team fighting for each other.”

With the win, the Lava Bears have now made it to four consecutive state tournaments, and it marks the 10th time they have reached the state tournament since Cooper took over the program in 2007.

The Lava Bears dominated the first set against West Albany, closing on a 13-1 run.

“We were just coming out to win and protect our house,” Schuller said. “This was our last game here for us seniors. We wanted to make a statement and shut them down from the beginning.”

The second set was much closer than the first set, but once again, the Lava Bears were able to close out the set to take a commanding 2-0 lead.

“When you get to the end and your setters make the right decisions and know how to finish out a set, then you are feeling pretty confident,” Cooper said.

There might not have been a better sign that the Lava Bears were going to get the sweep of West Albany than late in the match when Cooper busted out a “stanky leg” dance move after a Lava Bear ace.

“The players asked me if I could do it on our next ace, so of course I had to do it,” Cooper said. “It is just the fun bond we have with our team.”

The Lava Bears will take on No. 5 Crater Friday at 1 p.m. at Forest Grove. The past two seasons, Bend advanced to the state title match and came away with second-place finishes both times.

“It feels like we should be there, it feels like home almost to us,” Kjellesvik said. “We are ready to go and compete.”

Caldera makes first state tourney appearance

Caldera’s first postseason berth turned into a first trip to the 5A state tournament for the Wolfpack volleyball team.

The seventh-seeded Wolfpack outlasted No. 10 North Eugene in five sets (19-25, 25-17, 25-20, 15-25, 15-9) to advance to their first ever state tournament in the program’s short four-year history.

“It was so special because you have your season on the line,” said senior libero Avary Arment. “That is what made this game so fun is that we all put our whole hearts out on the court.”

And a five-set match proved that both the Wolfpack and the Highlanders were worthy of extending their seasons by at least two matches.

“We knew that we were going to be challenged; we knew we weren’t going to win this in three sets,” said Caldera coach Alicia Rudloff. “Both teams were good enough to make the state tournament.”

Against a scrappy North Eugene team, the Wolfpack had to dig themselves out of an early 0-1 hole to take the next two sets. North Eugene’s momentum carried into the fourth set with a 25-15 win to force a fifth set.

In a race to 15 in the fifth and final set, the Wolfpack were able to flip the momentum to punch their ticket to the state tournament with a 15-9 win.

“In the fifth set we really locked in,” Arment said. “We stayed on the positive side because we were dipping with the mental side of things.”

The Wolfpack will face a tough test at Forest Grove on Friday at 3:15 p.m., when they take on No. 2 Crescent Valley, the two-time defending state champion, in the state quarterfinals.

“We have obviously never been there before,” Arment said. “To be able to experience that during my senior year and with this group of girls is really special, given the ups and downs that we have gone through this season.”

More volleyball playoff action

With a three set sweep of No. 14 Philomath (25-13, 25-14, 25-16), No. 3 Crook County is headed back to the 4A state tournament at North Bend High School near Coos Bay. The Cowgirls have advanced to the state volleyball tournament every year since 2006. Crook County will take on No. 6 The Dalles, a Tri-Valley Conference opponent, in the quarterfinals Friday afternoon at 1 p.m.

For the first time in program history, Central Christian is headed to the state tournament. The eighth-seeded Tigers took down No. 9 North Clackamas Christian in the second round of the 1A playoffs Saturday evening in five sets (25-23, 21-25, 24-26, 25-17, 16-14). The champions of the Mountain Valley League will take on No. 1 Crane (last year’s state champions) Friday at 8 a.m. at Ridgeview High.