Davenport tops Tri-Cities in comeback

YAKIMA - On a rainy and foggy Thursday morning that greeted teams for Day 2 of the WIAA Class 2B state volleyball tournament, Davenport delivered one of the day's biggest comebacks, rallying from a two-set deficit to defeat Tri-Cities Prep 15-25, 13-25, 25-21, 25-23, 15-7 in a dramatic five-set loser-out match on Court 2 at the Yakima Valley SunDome.

The Gorillas, who entered the consolation bracket after a quarterfinal loss on Wednesday, refused to let their season end in the early 8 a.m. start. Davenport stormed back to win the final three sets and advance to a noon Thursday matchup against Riverview for seventh and eighth place.

Davenport senior Faith Bell was awarded the sportsmanship medallion after the match.

Tri-Cities Prep coach Sal Dumo was unavailable for comment.

Davenport coach Jill Morrison said the combination of the weather and the early hour made the five-set grind especially tough.

"These girls never make it easy on us, and going to five at 8 a.m. is really hard," Morrison said. "I'm just calm."

The Gorillas made it a season-long mission to bring home another trophy.

"Last year was the goal; this year was to bring back another trophy," Morrison said. "We just secured that spot, and so, yeah, so exciting."

The victory extended Davenport's stay at the SunDome and ensured at least one more match in a season that has seen the Gorillas consistently ranked among the state's top 2B programs. Tri-Cities Prep saw its season come to an end after the hard-fought battle.