Sports writer
POST FALLS -- It had been 18 years since the Post Falls Trojans qualified for the state volleyball tournament.
So apparently making their faithful wait a few more days wasn't any big deal.
Unable to seal the deal on Tuesday, the Trojans bounced back with a well-balanced effort to sweep the Lake City Timberwolves 25-13, 25-17, 25-20 in the second-place match of the 5A Region 1 tournament Saturday afternoon. The win earned Post Falls (25-9) its first state berth since 1991.
"I'm so excited; I've never been close to anything like state before," said Post Falls senior middle blocker Andrea Mohney, who totaled eight kills, four aces and three blocks. "It was very disappointing (losing at home to Lewiston in the regional championship), but we talked about everything, forgave each other. Today's a new day; we stepped on the court and played our game."
Post Falls will play Centennial (27-8) of Meridian in its state opener Friday at 10 a.m. at Lake City High.
As they did on Tuesday, Post Falls took the first two games easily from Lake City. But the Trojans became tentative in dropping the final three games against Lewiston. On Saturday, they fell behind Lake City 11-2 in the third game, and Trojans coach Willow Hanna used a couple of timeouts in an attempt to change the momentum.
Her message -- "breathe."
It worked.
Danielle Meehan served the Trojans back into the game. Jalana White tied the game at 15 with an ace, then followed it up with another ace to give Post Falls the lead for good. White's kill from the right side sent the jubilant Trojans to state.
"We weren't afraid to swing," Mohney said. "I think the nerves of going to state hit us (vs. Lewiston). Today we came in confident and ready."
Hanna took over the program in 2007, played at Post Falls in the early 1990s -- just after the program's last trip to state, and has been determined to get her alma mater back there.
"For one, this is a huge reward for these girls that have been working hard for three years," Hanna said. "We've been in here trying to get to this point, and certainly when you're asking them to put in the hours they put in, and the hard work and doing things that they're not super-comfortable with doing, they're doing it. That's the ultimate reward for them.
"For me, coming in and trying to build a program, that's where you want it to go. You don't just want to be mediocre, you want to make sure you're taking it to the next level, and that's what I hoped would happen."
Post Falls had five players with at least four kills. White finished with eight kills, and 16 assists, Tori Bertsch had eight kills and 18 assists, Meehan had six kills, three aces and 13 digs.
For Lake City (13-16), Britta Forsythe had six kills and nine digs, MacKenzie Brown 12 digs, Hilary Ayers 13 assists, four kills and two aces, Holly Cutler three aces and three blocks.
"It boiled down to that they served aggressively, and we passed poorly," first-year Lake City coach Bret Taylor said. "They attacked. Honestly, they're a great team, and they deserve to be at state. "Overcoming a loss to Lewiston ... it showed what their character is about. They could have folded the tent in Game 3 and they didn't."
