Morton breezes past Firm Foundation, advances to district semifinals

Nov. 3—Box ScoreAt Morton HSHUSKIES 3, EAGLES 0Firm Found. 17 15 8 — 0Morton 25 25 25 — 3MORTON — Before Morton took the court against Firm Foundation in a district quarterfinal on Monday, the Huskies hadn't played in six days.The gap — Morton's longest of the season — led to a little bit of rust, but it took the Huskies almost no time to get back into the swing of things, as the Huskies swept the Eagles 25-17, 25-15, 25-8 to advance to the district semifinals."I think they had nerves coming in and maybe started playing a little safe," Morton coach Jamie Brazil said. "It took us a little bit to get going tonight. But the third set, our goal was to just play big and play for each other. That's what we focused on, and I think they did that."In that final set, the Huskies were consistently able to generate hitting chances, which led to several high-power kills and a 10-0 run in the middle of the set that helped them pull away.Morton also operated at a high level defensively in the third set, making far fewer receiving and passing errors."I'm happy with 100 percent of their effort," Brazil said. "It's great to see the hard work and the girls come together and really play for each other. You talk a lot about it every practice, and I think that's the growth that they've had over this season."Ryelin Wiedenmann had a strong night on both sides of the ball, posting 17 kills, 17 digs, and a block, and Kendall Cournyer was also excellent all over the floor, as she tallied 17 digs, 15 kills, four aces, and a block.Crystal Dygert finished with 28 assists, seven digs, three kills, and an ace while also going perfect at the service line, Chevy Fuller added 12 digs, three kills, a block, and an ace, and Caydence Franz ended the night with six digs, four aces, and a block of her own.With the win, the Huskies (15-2) have now won 14 games in a row, and they are one win away from advancing to the state tournament and clinching a spot in the district title game.A win in the semifinal would send Morton through to the state tournament for the first time since 2018, when Morton/White Pass made the 2B bracket. The last time the Huskies qualified for the 1B tournament was in 2006.In the semifinal, which is set for Wednesday at Toledo, Morton will face Columbia Adventist. The Huskies and Kodiaks have played twice this season, with Morton sweeping both matchups on Sept. 22 and Oct. 27, just six days prior to Monday's district opener.Right after the game, Brazil wasn't sure which team had won the quarterfinal between CAA and Taholah, but she said that either matchup would be a "battle" and "a good game either way.""We are pumped," Brazil said. "The girls have been putting in work, and this has been our goal all season. We really want to get to state. We've been doing what we feel like it'll take to get us there, and we're pumped. We can't wait."Pe Ell swept in quarterfinal against NaselleIn another 1B District 4 Quarterfinal, Pe Ell was swept on the road in Naselle.The Trojans (8-11) will now head to the elimination bracket, where they will need to win three straight games to earn a trip to the state tournament.Pe Ell will face Willapa Valley in Raymond on Tuesday in the first round of elimination games.