Flying high

MMK hosts District IV opener

Justin Johnson | Nov 03, 20220

Justin Johnson count

Mary M. Knight High School senior volleyball players Hailey Lohman (22), Tryssa Robertson (29) and their teammates were all smiles after the Owls topped Taholah in four sets Oct. 25 in Matlock.

Justin Johnson count

The Owls huddle before the start of the match.

The mark of the best teams is that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

It's the philosophy that has guided the Mary M. Knight High School volleyball team to one of its best seasons in recent history.

"I think one of the biggest things is, in the program, we really work hard," Owls coach Kitty Brehmeyer said. "I mean from day one, even at the junior high level, we stress that you need to go out there and be the best teammate you can be. When you are the best teammate for someone else and they reciprocate and do that back for you, that team, as a unit is stronger than a bunch of individuals out there. You cannot play a game of volleyball by yourself, and so I think that's been a philosophy that we really preach."

MMK finished its 1B Coastal League season with a 6-2 record (8-9 overall), capturing a four-set win over Taholah on senior night to clinch the league's No. 2 seed and a bye into the quarterfinal round of the District IV tournament. The win over the Chitwhins was the first time any of the Owls' three seniors have beaten Taholah during their careers.

"This year has definitely been different from any of the other years I've played volleyball here, mainly because you have that added pressure as a senior," said MMK senior Erika Edgin. "I feel like it's more fun in a sense because you've worked so hard to become the skill level you are. And so getting to that point, you just get to experience new things and push yourself to be the best you can be."

Edgin is one of three seniors on the team, joining Hailey Lohman and Tryssa Robertson, and the trio are half of MMK's Class of 2023.

The trio have played together since seventh grade, which Edgin and Robertson said has helped the team have a stronger bond.

"Each of us provide differently for the team. We all have our different kinds of leadership skills," Robertson said. "Erika has her strong suits. Hailey has her strong suits. I have my strong suits, and I think it was interesting because we all learn and adapted from different experiences, and we all brought together something that was, you know, unique."

The MMK opens the double-elimination District IV tournament at 6:30 tonight in Matlock against either Willapa Valley or Pe Ell, and then plays at 2 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Montesano High School. The top four finishers at the district tournament advance to next weeks' 1B state tournament in Yakima.

"I think we've been working so hard for this, that we're ready, but I think we're all a little bit intimidated because everybody around us is saying how good we're doing and how much they see how far we can go," Edgin said. "I think we're all a little bit nervous to see if we can actually go that far, but I think we're also really excited and I think we've done our best to prepare for it."

On her fellow seniors, Edgin said that she loves Robertson and Lohman's determination on the court.

"You can definitely see that when they're playing, they do their best to work their hardest and inspire the younger girls. I definitely admire that about them."

Robertson said that while it's not possible to always be positive, the team tries to cheer each other on, both in practices and in matches, and lift each other up.

"We've been together for a few years now and I think playing with each other is different than just seeing each other at school because you get more of the emotional side of each player," Robertson said. "I believe that everybody can kind of read each other better now. We kind of understand what the other is going through and that's really special."

Edgin said that volleyball's fast pace is one of her favorite things about the sport.

"There is never a dull moment. It's exciting," Edgin said. "You definitely have all those highs and lows, but we go through it as one.

"I feel like we've all invested so much emotionally into this team," Edgin added. "I feel like I've built a lot of connections and I've learned how to be a team player. I feel like that will help me in future years for say, when I'm in a workplace, I have something to look back on. How to be a good team player and how to contribute my all into something so that way we can build something amazing. I feel like that's something incredible that volleyball teaches me."