Ellie Marble, unleashed. (Photo property Washington Interscholastic Activities Association)
The final chapter was a best seller.
La Conner High School volleyball coach Suzanne Marble capped a 30-year run Friday, guiding her squad to a fourth consecutive 2B state title.
The Braves knocked off Okanogan, Lind-Ritzville-Sprague, Manson, and Colfax to claim the crown, the seventh overall in program history.
Marble and La Conner claimed titles in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022.
There was no state tournament in 2020 because of the ongoing pandemic.
The Braves finished 18-3 in Marble’s final season and dropped just one set at state.
Seeded #3 in the 12-team 2B field, La Conner upset #2 Manson in the semifinals, revenge for a late-season non-conference loss during an Eastern Washington road trip.
Top-seeded Kalama, which was 22-0 entering play Friday, also suffered an upset, falling to #4 Colfax in the semifinals.
It turned out to be back-to-back losses for the Chinooks, as Manson spiked them in the 3rd/4th place match.
Adna (5th), Lind-Ritzville-Sprague (6th), Okanogan (7th), and Tri-Cities Prep (8th) also brought home trophies.
While the 2B championships were a 12-team affair, with La Conner beating Coupeville in the bi-district finals to claim the one ticket to state available for Districts 1 and 2, it was a much-bigger draw in 1B.
Three Northwest 2B/1B League rivals which Coupeville blitzed in the regular season made the 20-team field in that tourney.
Mount Vernon Christian was seeded #6, Orcas Island #16, and Darrington #19, but it was the lowest of those three seeds which surprised everyone by claiming a trophy.
Darrington won three of five matches to finish 8th, while the two other NWL schools went 1-2.
Neah Bay, another school Coupeville scorched during the regular season, beat the Loggers in the 7th/8th place game, while top seeded Oakesdale won the 1B title.
Coupeville Sports 
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