Grant Union Prospector Samantha Brock blocks Bonanza in the quarterfinal game at the State Tournament.

REDMOND – Being one of the elite eight teams in the OSAA/U.S. Bank/Les Schwab Tires Class 2A volleyball for the second straight season and third time in the last four years, the Grant Union lady Prospectors were focused on bringing home more shiny hardware.

That’s exactly what the Lady Prospectors (26-5) did, as they earned the third place trophy with a 25-17, 25-11, 25-18 win over the Kennedy Trojans (24-7) Saturday at Ridgeview High School in Redmond.

The Prospectors, guided by coach Shae Speth, notched a 3-1 quarterfinal win Nov. 6 over the Bonanza Antlers (25-4), followed by a 3-1 loss in Friday’s semifinals to the Culver Bulldogs (30-4). The Prospectors, who lost in the 2014 finals to the Burns Hilanders, came back to redeem themselves by getting a big victory over Kennedy to conclude the season on a positive note.

“We didn’t really play our best on Friday, so I was very proud of the way the kids came back and played so hard to get third place,” said Speth. “We weren’t really quite sure how well we would feel after a pickup truck hit our bus after the game Friday night. Four of the girls went to the hospital to get treatment, and they were fine after that. It was great to see them come out and just have some fun today. We were a little disappointed that we didn’t get to play in the championship game again like we did last year, but we had a great season.”

The Prospectors certainly saved their best performance for their final contest of the two-day tournament. The Prospectors had a fabulous start against Kennedy, while jumping out to an 11-0 first set advantage. Grant Union junior libero Chelsie Kodesh fueled the strong rally by serving 11 straight service points, including two aces. Seniors Samantha Brock, Kenzie Wilson and sophomore outside hitter Kori Pentzer (19 kills, nine digs, two blocks) contributed kills to help build the lead.

“It’s exciting to be in the tournament again and it’s just great to get third place, so we really had a fun season,” said Wilson. “It was our last chance and we just wanted to give everything we had out on the court today. We definitely had hoped to get first or second place, but it’s nice to end the season with a win.”

The Prospectors then just traded points with the Trojans as they continued leading by double digits with a 24-14 advantage. Pentzer, a unanimous All Tournament First Team recipient, pounded a game-winning kill in the 25-17 win.

In the second set, Kennedy took the initial lead at 2-0. Grant Union quickly came back and after a sideout made it 2-1, Kodesh served five straight service points to give the Prospectors a 6-2 lead. Pentzer’s kill later extended the margin to 8-3. The teams then traded points as Grant Union continued leading 13-8. The Prospectors offense was unstoppable from that point on as they outscored the Trojans 12-3 the remainder of the set for a 25-11 win. Brock served the final seven service points of the set, which concluded with Pentzer’s game winning kill.

Grant Union’s momentum continued in the third set. Pentzer, junior middle blocker Heather Mosley, senior Jocelynn Smith and sophomore Mariah Moulton (nine digs) each pounded kills to give the Prospectors a 12-6 lead. The teams traded points with the Prospectors remaining on top 20-13 on a Pentzer kill. The squads traded the final five points, while Mosley delivered the game winning kill in a 25-18 win. Senior setter Rheanna Cartner had 35 assists.

In a long, seesaw first set battle in the semifinals against Culver, the Prospectors pulled out a close 28-26 win. Culver, the Columbia Basin Conference champions and nearby local favorites, regained the momentum by winning three straight sets for the 26-28, 25-20, 25-23, 25-19 win. Culver then advanced to Saturday’s finals and lost 3-0 to the Burns Hilanders, who captured a second straight title.

Pentzer had 22 kills, Cartner had 40 assists and Moulton had 14 digs.

In their opening 10 a.m. quarterfinal match versus the Mountain View Conference champion Antlers, the Prospectors dropped the first set 25-19. Grant Union responded by winning three straight sets. Kodesh served six straight service points to help the Prospectors build an 8-1 second set lead. Grant Union continued leading 21-16 when Pentzer (21 kills, 15 digs, five aces)served back-to-back aces. A game-winning service ace by senior Taylor McCluskey provided Grant Union with a 25-18 win.

Grant Union’s momentum continued in a close 25-22 third set win in which Mosley tipped a ball to the floor for the winning point. In the fourth set, Grant Union trailed 7-1. The Prospectors had big 17-4 rally to go on top 18-11 and they concluded the match with a 25-17 win to capture the 19-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-17 quarterfinal victory. Cartner had 44 assists and 18 digs.

“We struggled early and had somewhat of a slow start, but I was proud of the way the girls fought back hard to win three straight sets,” said Speth. “It’s just been a really incredible season for us.”

This postseason appearance marked the sixth straight year Grant Union qualified for the state playoffs. Moulton joined Pentzer on the All Tournament Team as she earned a Second Team Award. For seniors Brock, Wilson, Cartner, Smith and McCluskey, it marked the final game of their Grant Union High School volleyball career.

“Our seniors have had a great career with us and they provided leadership and played strong out on the court the last four years,” said Speth. “They played with a lot of desire and heart to get a win in the final game of their career. Not many seniors get to end their career with a win, so I’m really proud of them for doing that.”