Lake Stevens volleyball didn’t only bring home a trophy, they made school history by being the first volleyball team to win the state title. In the biggest match of their lives, the Vikings found themselves down two sets to Curtis, the team they couldn’t beat for years. For the seniors, it felt like their freshmen year championship all over again.

“PTSD from freshman year, because that’s how we lost the state championship,” senior captain Laura Eichert said.

Not this time though. They fought with perseverance for each point and survived the third set. All of a sudden, the Vikings hit their groove. Going on a 25-14 run in the third set, they didn’t let up there. Set after bump, spike after set, the Vikings’ chemistry began to take over.

The Vikings maintained the winning mentality throughout the whole tournament. Leading into the game, the Vikings’ mentality was no matter what they were going to give their all.

“I feel like we were just really focused on giving it our all and not giving up, even if we were down,” senior Olivia Gonzales said.

In the fourth set, Lake Stevens continued dominating, demonstrating immense skill and closing out the set 25-17. Curtis was demoralized and fell apart.

“It felt like you could just see it on their faces that they were defeated,” Olivia Gonzales said.

In the final set, it was tied up 2-2 and the stakes had never been higher for coach Kyle Hogland and his Vikings. The team’s focus kicked in like never before because the reality was that this would be the final set of many high school careers on both ends of the court.

With the match tied, both teams faced the reality that one season was about to end in heartbreak; it would be nothing short of absolute devastation. The winner gets to soak in glory that lasts a lifetime.

In the final stretch, The Vikings led 14-7 and they needed one more point to win it all. Gonzales set the ball, which was followed by a relentless kill by Eichert. The final kill cemented Lake Stevens legacy as state champions.

“It’s a pretty big honor and privilege that we get to bring that home to Lake Stevens, just the town itself,” Eichert said

At the conclusion of their match, confetti fell and the girls dropped to their knees with overwhelming joy. All their hard work day in and day out had officially paid off.

A generational season solidified, ending their season with a 33-3 record, going 14-0 in district games, losing only 1 of the 43 sets played in their district.

The success was fueled with stellar team chemistry. The team had a deeper personal connection this year. A “personal vs professional” relationship Laura said, built through years of bonding, playing and trusting one another.

Volleyball put an outstanding cap on their season, a high school career for some and motivates LSHS volleyball teams for years to come.