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Seattle Times High School Sports
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PI Nov 16, 2002 SEATTLE PREP 2, NEWPORT 1: The unranked Knights handed the Panthers their first loss in Game 1, but Prep rallied to take the match, 11-15, 15-6, 15-5.
   "We were scared," Payne said. "We were warming up at first, and suddenly realized we didn't have the time for that."
   Prep used a near-flawless serving regimen in the latter games, while Newport struggled on the returns.
   Chelsea Lewis led Newport with eight kills and Breanna Eshgi added 22 assists, with eight digs. Leonard had a game-high 13 kills, Perez 27 assists for Prep.

Times Nov 16, 2002. Class 3A: Seattle Prep wins volleyball title in 'incredible' style YAKIMA — Seattle Prep capped a season Coach Gaylene Page called "amazing" and "incredible" with a 16-14, 15-3 win over the Columbia River Chieftains for the Class 3A state volleyball championship last night at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
     "Winning this the first time was amazing," she said. "To do it again with a different team is such an incredible accomplishment."
     But not nearly as incredible as the Panthers' refusal to lose.
     Seattle Prep had to go three games to get past district rival Newport in the semifinal and needed some luck and a questionable call to avoid going three games in the title match.
    Columbia River of Vancouver battled back from an 8-1 deficit, riding the serving of sophomore defensive specialist Suzanne Skinner, to tie the game at 10.
     Part of Columbia River's success was Prep's struggles at the net. Repeated blocking and kill-attempt errors that later disappeared allowed the Vancouver team to close the gap.
     With the Chieftains serving and leading 14-11 in the first game, Prep standout Jenica Leonard ripped a cross-court kill attempt that landed about 8 inches outside the sideline. The line judge ruled the ball in and the sideout went back to the Panthers.
     Prep closed to 14-13 on a block by Lauren Cane and then took the lead on another powerful Leonard kill. The teams traded sideouts repeatedly throughout this time before Prep finally closed the game out on a kill by Ché Oh.
     The second game was really no contest.
     Once Prep got its powerful front line of Leonard, Oh and Cane untracked, there was little Columbia River could do.
     Chieftains Coach Dana Blair tried timeouts and repeated substitutions, but nothing slowed the tide.
     "To be honest, we were gearing this team for next year, and all of a sudden they just started coming on," she added. "So this is a bonus."
    Page said she was glad the first game took longer than many of Prep's typically do.
     "That lets us get some things that they do figured out," she said.
     Prep got plenty of that in the semifinal. The Panthers lost the first game to Newport of Bellevue, a team they battled for nearly two hours in the Sea-King District tournament, but came back with a vengeance to advance, 11-15, 15-6, 15-8.
     In consolation action, Bishop Blanchet toppled district rival Newport 15-2, 15-4 for fifth and sixth places; Mark Morris beat Black Hills 16-14, 15-12 in the game for third and fourth; and Selah defeated Sequim 10-15, 16-14 and 15-6 for seventh and eighth places.

EJ Nov 15, 2002 Newport's Friday results Newport d. Mount Rainier 15-7, 15-13 Newport: Shannon Stewart 6 kills, 1 dig; Shannon Marquardson 5 kills, 2 digs; Chelsea Lewis 6 kills, 1 block, 1 dig; Jillian Lowe 4 kills, 1 dig; Breanna Eshghi 3 kills, 6 digs, 4 aces, 19 assists; Emily Oswell 1 block, 1 dig; Vivian Choi 1 dig. Record: 24-6.
Newport d. Grandview 15-9, 15-8  Newport: Shannon Stewart 7 kills, 2 blocks, 6 digs; Chelsea Lewis 6 kills, 2 blocks, 1 dig; Shannon Marquardson 9 kills, 1 block, 1 dig; Jillian Lowe 2 kills, 1 assist; Emily Oswell 1 kill; Laura Chapman 2 kills; Vivian Choi 3 digs; Breanna Eshghi 2 kills, 5 digs, 1 ace, 15 assists; Jenny Freed 1 dig. Record: 25-6.
Blanchet d. Newport 15-5, 13-15, 15-6  Newport: Shannon Stewart 12 kills, 1 block, 8 digs; Shannon Marquardson 6 kills, 1 block, 13 digs, 1 ace; Chelsea Lewis 8 kills, 5 blocks, 6 digs; Jillian Lowe 9 kills, 1 block, 8 digs, 1 ace; Laura Chapman 3 kills, 1 block, 1 dig; Emily Oswell 3 kills; Breanna Eshghi 1 kill, 1 block, 8 digs, 37 assists; Vivian Choi 3 digs; Jenny Freed 2 digs. Record: 25-7.
Newport d. Black Hills 15-11, 5-15, 15-7 Newport: Shannon Stewart 12 kills, 20 digs, 1 ace; Chelsea Lewis 7 kills, 2 blocks, 11 digs; Breanna Eshghi 3 kills, 1 block, 19 digs, 2 aces, 36 assists; Jillian Lowe 11 kills, 9 digs; Emily Oswell 3 kills, 2 digs; Laura Chapman 3 blocks; Vivian Choi 7 digs, 1 ace. Record: 26-7.

PI Nov 15, 2002 NEWPORT 2, BLACK HILLS 1: Newport became the second of three Sea-King District representatives in the Final Four by defeating Black Hills, 15-11, 5-15, 15-7 in a long, emotional match.
   "We're getting used to draining matches," Newport coach Steve Trachy said, referring to a pair of thrillers in the district tournament -- losses to Blanchet and Prep, as well as a three-set loss to Blanchet in pool play.
   "In the second set, we didn't look like we had enough energy, and Black Hills got real consistent. It was tough to get anything by them," Trachy said. "The kids decided they wanted to play with more emotion and they summoned the strength from somewhere."
   Shannon Stewart led the Knights with 12 kills and Jillian Lowe had 11. Breanna Eshghi had 36 assists.
   Newport gets another shot at Seattle Prep in tonight's other semifinal.
   SUDDEN END: Just after noon yesterday, 6-foot-1 Jaime Anderson crumpled onto the plastic tiled floor and cried. The Mount Rainier star's season, in essence, was over.
   Her teammate, fellow senior Kelsey Rapp, couldn't even speak as sobs caught her voice in her throat. Coach Julie Melver lent a comforting shoulder.
   The Rams, the state's fourth-ranked team, had just fallen in straight sets to Blanchet.
   It was the ease with which Blanchet handed this mighty Mount Rainier team that was shocking.
   "That was a really amazing game," Blanchet's Vanessa LoPriore said after the 15-6, 15-5 victory. Sophomore Stephanie Augustavo recorded 12 kills and eight digs to lead Joanne Gilligan's Braves.
   Newport had already delivered a 15-7, 15-13 blow to Mount Rainier in the Rams' first pool play match. The Blanchet loss dropped the Rams to 0-2 and ensured they would not advance to the quarterfinals.
   "There is the desire, the talent, the great attitude. Everything is there to make a No. 1 team. For some reason, it didn't happen," Melver said. "I don't know what happened. I honestly don't know."
   The Rams boast one of the most dominating middles here, with Anderson, a Pac-10 prospect, and 6-2 Moana Sau. Senior setter Emily Melver also excels.
   "We were expecting a lot harder team," Newport's Jillian Lowe said. "They just had no defense, no offense today, and every aspect of our game was strong."

EJ Nov 15, 2002 Volleyball: Newport reaches state semifinals YAKIMA -- The Newport High volleyball team won three of four matches Thursday and rolled into the semifinals of the Class 3A state volleyball tournament at the Yakima Sun Dome.
   The Knights (26-7) will face defending champion Seattle Prep (23-1) in a semifinal match at 6 p.m. today.
   Newport is guaranteed its first-ever state trophy (which go to the top eight finishers), but the Knights are focused on the top prize.
   ``The kids are finally figuring out that they are pretty good when they play hard and put it all together,'' Newport coach Steve Trachy said. ``We have our hands full with Prep. They are playing really well right now, but I don't think we'll be intimidated by them.''
   Newport swept Mount Rainier and Grandview, then lost to Blanchet, but the Knights advanced out of Pool D with a 2-1 record.
   In the quarterfinals against Black Hills, Newport rallied from a second-game loss to win 15-11, 5-15, 15-7.
   Shannon Stewart had 12 kills and 20 digs, Jillian Lowe added 11 kills and nine digs, Chelsea Lewis had seven kills and 11 digs, and setter Breanna Eshghi had 36 assists and 19 digs for the Knights.
   ``There were a lot of long points and they had a little bit of a letdown in Game 2,'' Trachy said.
   Trachy said he challenged his team, and the Knights responded to close out the match.
   Newport is familiar with Seattle Prep. The Knights lost to the Panthers in three tough games in the district semifinals last Saturday.
   Blanchet will face Columbia River in tonight's other semifinal. The championship match is scheduled for 9 p.m.
   Newport did place in two recent trips to state in 1999 and 2000.
   Interlake placed fifth at state in 1999, the best result for any Kingco team since 1997.
   Islanders eliminated.  Mercer Island lost all three of its matches in Pool D and failed to advance. It was Mercer Island's fourth state trip in five years.

EJ Nov 10, 2002  3A volleyball: Long day can't derail Kingco teams at district by Matt Thompson
Journal Reporter BELLEVUE-- On a day when they played four matches in less than seven hours, the Mercer Island and Newport volleyball teams survived a grueling schedule to advance to next week's Class 3A state volleyball tournament in Yakima.
     The Islanders (20-10) defeated Bainbridge Island in their final match of the day to earn the No. 3 seed from the Sea-King District II tournament. Game scores were 13-15, 16-14, 15-10.
     ``We gutted it out and got tough when we needed to,'' said Mercer Island senior Anne MacDougall, who had 13 kills and seven digs against the Spartans. ``But we're dead tired right now.''
     Newport (23-6) defeated Holy Names 15-10, 15-5 in a loser-out, winner-to-state contest to nab the No. 5 seed.
     Seattle Prep, the defending state champion, defeated Blanchet in the championship match 15-11, 15-3.
     Mercer Island started the day with an easy win over Holy Names, but lost a tough 15-8, 16-14 match to Blanchet in a semifinal matchup.
     The Islanders bounced back against Holy Names before beating Bainbridge.
     ``With the way the format works and beats up the girls, I was pleased,'' said Islanders coach Dino Annest, whose team will advance to the state tournament for the fourth time in five years.
     ``But it's the same deal at state. They know what they have to do now. The good thing is they've done it once.''
     The Islanders could have folded against the Spartans after losing the first game and then falling behind 14-12 in the second game. Mercer Island fought off four match points, then Allison Stewart served three consecutive points to tie the game.
     Sophomore Callie Webster had a big day. She had eight kills, six aces and five digs against Bainbridge. Ali Wiley, who didn't come off the court the entire day, added eight digs and 39 assists against the Spartans.
     Mercer Island placed sixth at state in 1999, its best finish in the past three seasons.
     ``I think we can definitely make it to the second day,'' MacDougall said. ``It depends on a lot of things, but I think we can play again like we did today.''
     Knights survive
     The Newport Knights' roller coaster day ended in smiles as they defeated Holy Names in a winner-to-state, loser-out match.
    The Knights, who won their first-ever Kingco title this season, were in danger of finishing the season in their home gym after losing a two-hour marathon match to defending state champion Seattle Prep. Game scores were 15-10, 19-21 and 15-12.
     Newport had to turn around and face a well-rested Bainbridge team, and fell 15-9, 15-7.
     Before the final match of the day, Knights senior setter Breanna Eshghi received a phone call from her sister, who reminded her that she could be playing her last match of her high school career.
     ``It just hit me that this couldn't be the end of the season,'' Eshghi said. ``I knew we wouldn't lose.''
     The Knights answered with a win over the Cougars in two games.
     ``This was a long day,'' Newport coach Steve Trachy said. ``We were able to pick it up against Holy Names and that says a lot.''
     Eshghi had 17 assists and nine digs against Holy Names. She also recorded seven kills, 41 assists and 28 digs against Seattle Prep.
     Chelsea Lewis had six kills and four blocks in the final match of the day. Shannon Stewart added four digs as well.Trachy said he feels good about his team's chances at state next week.
     ``We were heads up with Prep, I didn't see much difference between us,'' Trachy said.
     ``If we play at that level, we'll be in good shape.''

Times Nov 10, 2002. Volleyball roundup: Seattle Prep beats Blanchet for fourth time. By Terry Wood, George Edgar and and staff writer Greg Bishop Special to The Seattle Times BELLEVUE — Living up to the "Panther Power" motto seen on T-shirts around Newport High School during the Sea-King 3A District volleyball championships, top-ranked Seattle Prep blitzed No. 5 Bishop Blanchet in last night's title game, 15-11, 15-3, advancing to the state as the district's No. 1 seed.
     Defending state champion Seattle Prep (19-1) will be joined Thursday at the Yakima SunDome by fellow district qualifiers Blanchet (23-8), Mercer Island (20-10), Bainbridge (23-11) and eighth-ranked Newport (23-6).
     Prep and Newport tangled in the day's most entertaining match, where the Panthers had to rally from a 10-5 deficit in the third game to win the a two-hour match, 15-10, 19-21, 15-12.
     Newport lost to Bainbridge in a loser's bracket game, 15-9, 15-7, before earning the No. 5 state seed with a win over Holy Names.
     Seattle Prep surged behind the high-jumping, power-stroke game of 5-foot-6 Jenica Leonard (7 kills, 8 digs against Blanchet), the net play of Che Oh (6 kills, 3 blocks) and the all-around court savvy of Katrina Perez (25 assists), Lura Nuyen (6 kills, 9 blocks) and Cristina Payne (5 kills, 3 digs, 3 blocks.)
     The Panthers opened its first game with Blanchet with an 11-0 run and the second game with seven straight points.
     Seattle Prep has defeated the Braves four times this season.
     "Every time you meet a team, it's harder to beat them the next time," Coach Gaylene Page said. "We were geared up for that, knowing we really had to focus. We have a tendency to not finish a game when we really can, and we had a little lapse in the first game tonight, but overall I thought we played really well."
     Vanessa LoPriore led Bishop Blanchet with 8 kills and 4 blocks. Chantal LaBossiere had 17 assists. Krista Lersch and Stephanie Augustavo each had 5 kills.
     Mercer Island beat Bainbridge 13-15, 16-14, 15-10. The Islanders (20-10) rallied to win the last two games to earn the district's No. 3 seeding. In the second game Bainbridge (23-11) had four match points while leading but could not put away the No. 2 team from KingCo 3A.
     It was the fourth match of the day for both teams. After defeating Bainbridge, Islander Coach Coach Dino Annest approached junior Ali Wiley and jokingly asked, "Are you tired yet?" Wiley had 4 kills, 8 digs and 39 assists against Bainbridge. "She didn't come off the floor the entire day," Annest said. "Everybody gutted it out." Anne MacDougall had 13 kills in the win. Kristina Purdom (with 19) and Laura Bartunek (12) led Bainbridge, which claimed the No. 4 district seeding.
     Newport beat Holy Names 15-10, 15-5. Reeling from an emotionally draining loss to Seattle Prep in the championship semifinals, eighth-ranked Newport (23-6) dropped to the fifth-place game but rebounded to win and advance to the state playoffs as the No. 5 district seed.
     "We spent about 20 minutes in the back room pumping each other up, talking about how this game could be our last game, and that wasn't something we were going to accept," said junior Shannon Stewart, who had 15 kills and 20 digs in a two-hour loss (15-10, 19-21, 15-12) to Prep. "We won KingCo, but we needed more than that. So we put away the game. We had to have it."
     Chelsea Lewis led the Knights in the win against Holy Names (17-11) with 6 kills and 4 blocks.

Times Nov 10, 2002. SEA-KING 3A DISTRICT TOURNAMENT At Newport H.S.
Championship (both to state) Seattle Prep beat Bishop Blanchet 15-11, 15-3 (Highlights — Jenica Leonard, SP, 7 kills, 8 digs; Che Oh, SP, 6 kills, 3 blocks; Lauren Nuyen, SP, 6 kills, 9 digs; Cristina Payne, SP, 5 kills, 3 digs, 3 blocks; Katrina Perez, SP, 25 assists, 10 digs, 2 blocks; Venessa LoPriore, BB, 8 kills, 4 blocks; Stephanie Augustavo, BB, 5 kills, 1 block, 3 digs; Chantal Labossiere, BB, 17 assists. Records — Seattle Prep 19-1, Bishop Blanchet 23-8).
3RD-4TH places (both to state) Mercer Island beat Bainbridge 13-15, 16-14, 15-10 (Highlights — Anne MacDougall, MI, 13 kills, 7 digs, 2 blocks, 1 assist; Callie Webster, MI, 8 kills, 6 aces, 5 digs, 1 assist; Emma Spiro, MI, 8 kills, 4 blocks, 11 digs; Ali Wiley, MI, 4 kills, 8 digs, 39 assists; Allison Stewart, MI, 2 kills, 7 blocks, 1 ace, 3 digs; Kristina Purdom, B, 19 kills, 17 digs; Laura Bartunek, B, 17 kills, 7 digs, 1 block; Sarah Braun, B, 5 kills, 1 block, 3 digs; Ashley Bice, B, 2 kills, 12 digs, 27 assists; Ashley Anderson, 2 kills, 3 aces, 3 digs. Records — Mercer Island 20-10, Bainbridge 23-11).
Fifth Place (winner to state, loser out).  Newport beat Holy Names 15-10, 15-5 (Highlights — Chelsea Lewis, N, 6 kills, 4 blocks, 2 digs; Shannon Marquardson, N, 4 kills, 1 block, 3 aces, 3 digs; Jillian Lowe, N, 4 kills, 1 block, 2 aces; Shannon Stewart, N, 3 kills, 4 digs; Breanna Eshghi, N, 1 kill, 17 assists, 9 digs; Vivian Choi, N, 2 aces, 1 dig. No Holy Names stats provided. Records — Newport 23-6, Holy Names 17-11.
Championship semifinals. Seattle Prep beat Newport 15-10, 19-21, 15-12 (Highlights — Cristina Payne, SP, 22 kills, 7 digs, 3 blocks; Jenica Leonard, SP, 20 kills, 18 digs; Che Oh, SP, 9 kills, 5 digs, 5 blocks; Katrina Perez, SP, 51 assists, 25 digs; Lauren Cane, SP, 7 kills, 13 digs; Shannon Stewart, N, 15 kills, 20 digs; Shannon Marquardson, N, 11 kills, 5 aces, 16 digs; Chelsea Lewis, N, 9 kills,1 block, 5 digs; Breanna Eshghi, N, 7 kills, 1 ace, 41 assists, 28 digs; Jillian Lowe, N, 6 kills, 1 block, 2 aces, 14 digs; Vivian Choi, N, 1 ace, 16 digs; Laura Chapman, N, 1 block, 1 assist, 3 digs. Records-Seattle Prep (18-1), Newport (22-6).
Bishop Blanchet beat Mercer Island 15-8, 16-14 (Highlights — Stephanie Augustavo, BB, 9 kills, 1 block, 7 digs; Vanessa LoPriore, BB, 7 kills, 2 blocks; Krista Lersch, BB, 5 kills, 4 blocks; Chantal Labossiere, BB, 20 assists, 4 digs; Tiffany Wen, BB, 3 aces, 3 digs; Anne MacDougall, MI, 9 kills, 2 blocks, 5 digs, 1 assist; Callie Webster, MI, 6 kills, 6 digs; Allison Stewart, MI, 2 kills, 5 blocks, 1 ace, 3 digs; Ashley Mayer, MI, 2 kills, 2 digs; Ali Wiley, MI, 1 kill, 2 aces, 8 digs, 20 assists; Emma Spiro, MI, 1 kill, 12 digs. Records — Bishop Blanchet 23-7, Mercer Island 19-10).
Loser-bracket semifinals Bainbridge beat Newport, 15-9, 15-7. Mercer Island beat Holy Names, 15-13, 15-9 .
Preliminary matches Bainbridge beat Cedarcrest 15-5, 15-7. Holy Names beat Eastside Catholic, 15-1, 15-10.Mercer Island beat Holy Names, 15-7, 15-10 .Newport beat Cedarcrest, 15-10, 15-5

EJ Nov 8, 2002 Newport d. Holy Names 14-16, 15-9, 15-10 Newport: Breanna Eshghi 6 kills, 3 blocks, 16 digs, 2 aces, 23 assists; Chelsea Lewis 8 kills, 1 block, 14 digs; Jillian Lowe 6 kills, 7 digs, 2 aces; Shannon Stewart 9 kills, 11 digs, 1 ace; Shannon Marquardson 5 kills, 1 block, 11 digs, 2 aces; Vivian Choi 2 kills, 9 digs, 1 ace; Emily Oswell 1 block, 1 dig, 1 assist. Record: 20-3.
Newport d. West Seattle 15-4, 15-2  Newport: Shannon Stewart 6 kills, 1 ace, 2 digs; Chelsea Lewis 4 kills, 2 digs; Shannon Marquardson 5 kills, 8 aces; Jillian Lowe 6 kills, 1 assist, 3 digs; Emily Oswell 2 kills; Breanna Eshighi 2 kills, 2 digs, 20 assists; Vivian Choi 2 aces, 3 digs. Record: 21-3.
Blanchet d. Newport 10-15, 15-12, 15-9 Newport: Jillian Lowe 7 kills, 7 digs; Shannon Stewart 11 kills, 17 digs; Chelsea Lewis 4 kills, 2 blocks, 7 digs; Shannon Marquardson 11 kills, 1 block, 3 aces, 18 digs; Breanna Eshghi 1 kill, 1 ace, 17 digs; Emily Oswell 3 kills, 2 blocks; Vivian Choi 7 digs; Charisse Wu 3 digs. Record: 21-4.

Times Nov 8, 2002 ... Sea-King 3A volleyball. While most teams lounged around or finished homework, Seattle Prep munched on food during its pool-play break yesterday at the Sea-King 3A District volleyball tournament at Bishop Blanchet High School.
    And the defending state champion Panthers didn't stop on the court either, devouring the competition in the next four games to advance to tomorrow's semifinals at 2 p.m. at Newport High School.
    After winning its pool, Seattle Prep took advantage of a fatigued Mercer Island team, cruising to a 15-8, 15-5 win. Cedarcrest also moved into the semifinals.
    Mercer Island and Eastside Catholic also stayed alive for state berths.
    Meanwhile, at Newport, Blanchet knocked off eighth-ranked Newport and joined Holy Names in the semifinals. Bainbridge and Newport afd are alive for state berths.

PI Nov 6, 2002 High school stars of the week. Shannon Stewart, Newport Sport: Volleyball Sport: Volleyball Feats: Stewart led the Knights to a 16-14, 15-10 victory over Mercer Island with 13 kills and a pair of aces. Newport is 19-3, and the victory over the Islanders gave the Knights the KingCo 3A title and secured the top seed for the district playoffs.

EJ Nov 6, 2002 3A SEA-KING DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL
* When/where: Thursday, pool play at Newport and Blanchet High Schools; Saturday, bracket play at Newport.
* Tickets: $6 adults, $4 students w/ASB, $4 seniors, children under 6 are admitted free of charge.
* What's at stake: Five teams from the field of 12 will advance to the state tournament.
* Sizing up the field: Seattle Prep, defending district and state champion, is the favorite. ... Blanchet, Metro runner-up, and Newport, Kingco champion, are also expected to earn state berths. ... It will be a dogfight for the final two berths, but look for Mercer Island, Skyline and West Seattle to contend.Here is a look at the Eastside teams in competition:
     NEWPORT * Record: 19-3. * Coach: Steve Trachy, 6th year. * Season highlights: Rolled to 13-0 mark, including 39-6 games record, in 3A Kingco. ... Won two matches last weekend to capture first-ever league championship. ... Won three of five matches at competitive tournament in California in September. ... Led 4A Kingco-power Bothell 2-1 before losing in five games. * History at district: Fifth consecutive appearance. Placed third in 1999, sixth in 2000. * History at state: Did not place in two appearances (1999, 2000). * Top players: Senior setter Breanna Eshghi (3A Kingco MVP), senior middle blocker Chelsea Lewis and junior outside hitter Shannon Stewart (both first-team all-league).

EJ Nov 3. 2002 3A All-Kingco Volleyball FIRST TEAM Chelsea Lewis Newport MB Senior, Hilary Bates Issaquah MB Senior, Megan Townsend Cedarcrest OH Senior, Nauzley Abedini Skyline OH Junior, Anne MacDougall Mercer Island RS Senior, Maggie Olson Mount Si S/OH Junior, Alison Neuenschwander Mount Si DS/MB Senior,  Shannon Stewart Newport OH Junior. SECOND TEAM Bethany Carlsen Issaquah DS/OH Senior, Callie Webster Mercer Island OH Soph., Emmalyn Kirschenman Skyline OH Soph.,Kim Fickel Sammamish S Senior, Ali Wiley Mercer Island S Junior Kristine Grigsby Skyline S Soph., Sarah Primrose Issaquah S/OH Soph., Lauren Allen Bellevue MB Senior. HONORABLE MENTION Bellevue--Andrea Bassett, Adrienne Lyle, Allison Lyons, Dominique Lemieux. Cedarcrest--Stephanie Hern, Betsy Westermann. Interlake--Lindsay Church, Patty Nowak, Heather Tadman, Katie Taylor. Liberty--Hillary LeFever, Katharine Rodenberg. Mercer Island--Katie Oldenburg, Emma Spiro, Allison Stewart. Mount Si--Randilinn Cason, Marissa Hill. Newport--Vivian Choi, Jillian Lowe, Shannon Marquardson, Emily Oswell. Skyline--Corrine Fulton, Mallory Graving, Stephanie McIntosh, Lisl Schilperoort. MVP--Breanna Eshghi, Newport. Coach of the Year--Steve Trachy, Newport. Final standings Sky Division--Newport 13-0, Mercer Island 10-3, Skyline 9-4, Bellevue 5-8, Interlake 2-11. Valley Division--Issaquah 10-3, Mount Si 8-5, Cedarcrest 6-7, Sammamish 2-11, Liberty 0-13.

EJ Nov 3, 2002. SEMI-FINAL. Newport d. Skyline 15-8, 9-15, 15-8  Newport: Jillian Lowe 3 kills; Shannon Stewart 7 kills; Chelsea Lewis 11 kills, 1 ace; Emily Oswell 1 block; Shannon Marquardson 4 kills; Breanna Eshghi 2 kills, 18 assists; Laura Chapman 1 kill, 4 assists. Record: 18-3.
CHAMPIONSHIP Newport d. Mercer Island 16-14, 15-10  Newport: Vivian Choi 1 ace; Breanna Eshghi 4 kills, 1 ace, 20 assists; Chelsea Lewis 3 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace; Emily Oswell 3 kills, 5 blocks; Shannon Stewart 13 kills, 1 block, 2 aces; Shannon Marquardson 3 kills, 2 aces; Laura Chapman 1 kill, 3 blocks, 1 assist. Record: 19-3.
    Mercer Island: Allison Stewart 1 kill, 4 blocks, 3 digs; Callie Webster 10 kills, 2 aces, 17 digs; Carlyn Reimers 2 digs; Ashley Mayer 1 kill, 3 digs; Ali Wiley 5 kills, 1 block, 8 digs, 22 assists; Melissa Margolin 1 kill, 2 blocks; Emma Spiro 3 kills, 1 block, 2 aces, 15 digs; Ginny Steinbach 1 dig; Anne MacDougall 8 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace, 5 digs; Katie Oldenburg 3 aces, 8 digs; Claire Robertson 3 kills, 1 dig. Record: 15-8.

EJ Nov 3, 2002.  Newport earns volleyball banner by Bill Woten Journal Reporter. BELLEVUE-- There are more than 100 banners in Newport High School's gymnasium recognizing Knights sports championships.
    Make room for volleyball.
   Newport won its first volleyball title of any kind Saturday night, defeating Mercer Island 16-14, 15-10 to capture the 3A Kingco Conference tournament crown.
    High on the off-white wall, above the bleachers, the area between track and field and wrestling is bare. Not for much longer.
    ``I expect the banner will go up quickly,'' said Knights coach Steve Trachy, who is in his sixth year at Newport.
    The Knights' victory was no surprise. Newport rolled to a 13-0 league record, won 39 of 45 games, and posted nine three-game sweeps.
    The Knights also went 3-2 at a tough 24-team tournament in California, and led 4A Kingco stalwart Bothell 2-1 before falling in five games in a nonleague match in September.
    ``This is not a shock to me,'' Trachy said. ``We had high expectations going in. I knew we were going to be a pretty good team. That they came together so well is a tribute to their personalities. They're a self-motivated group.''
    Newport players sensed early that this season would be special.
    ``The first time we stepped on the court for a match I knew,'' said middle blocker Chelsea Lewis, who had three kills and two blocks in the title match. ``We all wanted to be out there and we all wanted to win.''
    Trachy said his players were nervous earlier in the day during a 15-8, 9-15, 15-8 semifinal victory over Skyline, an opponent that had confidence after taking the Knights to five games on Tuesday.
    ``Being the favorite like that is a position we're not used to,'' Trachy said. ``Getting through that was a big weight off the girls' shoulders.''
    In the title match, Newport let loose.
    The Knights (19-3 overall) raced out to an 8-1 lead in Game 1, and even after the Islanders fought back to hold a game point at 14-13, never buckled.
    A kill from Lewis earned a sideout, and five minutes later, another Lewis kill wrapped up Game 1 on Newport's fourth game point.
    The Knights fell behind 4-0 early in Game 2 before they rallied. And with the home fans standing in anticipation, Newport junior outside hitter Shannon Stewart put down her match-high 13th kill to set off a wild celebration.
    ``They put up a lot of fight,'' said Stewart, of the Islanders. ``This has been a long season, but we have a lot of energy and focus.''
    Several long rallies highlighted the match, but even when the scrambles turned their most chaotic, the Knights were organized. Newport setter Breanna Eshghi, the 3A Kingco MVP, made sure of that.
    Eshghi said the Knights have learned to trust each other.
    ``Sometimes on the court we don't talk as much as we could,'' said Eshghi, who had 20 assists. ``We know exactly when everyone is going to be.''
    Mercer Island, tournament champion in 1998 and 1999, struggled at the net.
    ``I'm really proud of the girls,'' Islanders coach Dino Annest said. ``They fought to the end. Newport has a lot of big hitters, and we had a tough time blocking them.''
    Callie Webster led Mercer Island (15-8) with 10 kills, and Anne MacDougall had eight.
    The Islanders reached the title match with a 15-6, 15-5 win over Issaquah earlier in the day.
    Later, the Indians bounced back to defeat Skyline 15-13, 15-6 in the match for third and fourth places.
    Cedarcrest rallied from one-game down to defeat Mount Si 13-15, 15-6, 15-12 to grab Kingco's fifth and final berth to district.
    Megan Townsend had eight kills, and Betsy Westermann added seven kills and 11 digs for the Red Wolves (13-14), who advanced to district for the third time in four years.
    The Sea-King district tournament is Thursday and Saturday at Blanchet and Newport High Schools.

Times Nov 3, 2002 KINGCO 3A TOURNAMENT At Newport H.S.
Championship. Newport beat Mercer Island 16-14, 15-10 (Highlights — Shannon Stewart, N, 13 kills, 1 block, 2 aces; Breanna Eshghi, N, 4 kills, 1 ace, 20 assists; Callie Webster, MI, 10 kills, 2 aces, 17 digs; Anne MacDougall, MI, 8 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace, 5 digs; Ali Wiley, MI, 5 kills, 1 block, 8 digs, 22 assists; Emma Spiro, MI, 3 kills, 1 block, 2 aces, 15 digs. Records — Newport 19-3, Mercer Island 14-6).
Semifinals. Newport beat Skyline, 15-8, 9-15, 15-8 (Highlights — Chelsea Lewis, N, 11 kills, 1 ace; Shannon Stewart, N, 7 kills; Shannon Marquardson, N, 4 kills; Jillian Lowe 3 kills; Breanna Eshghi, N, 2 kills, 18 assists; Nauzley Abedini, S, 13 kills, 5 digs, 1 block; Emmanlyn Kirschenman, S, 9 kills, 2 digs, 1 blocks; Kristine Grigsby, S, 3 kills, 9 assists, 2 digs; Allyson Cox, S, 3 aces, 17 assists, 3 digs; Corrnine Fulton, S, 1 ace, 12 digs. Records — Newport 18-3, Skyline 18-6).

Times Nov 3, 2002. BELLEVUE — Newport's volleyball team finally has a championship banner to hang in its gym. By Terry Wood Special to The Seattle Times  BELLEVUE — Newport's volleyball team finally has a championship banner to hang in its gym.
    Having reached the KingCo 3A title game in two of the past three seasons without winning the league crown, the Knights yesterday swept Mercer Island 16-14, 15-10 on their home court to advance to the Sea-King 3A District tournament as the No. 1 KingCo 3A seed.
    Newport (18-3 overall) finished unbeaten in 16 matches against league opponents.
    "Just the thought of getting a banner up on our wall was a big motivation for us," said Newport senior Chelsea Lewis, who contributed 3 kills, two blocks and an ace against Mercer Island.
    "And we were undefeated, so of course we have to win," she added, "and Mercer Island is our biggest rival, so we always play our hardest against them. We're pretty happy."
    Hard-hitting junior Shannon Stewart posted 13 kills for Newport in the title match and senior setter Breanna Eshghi provided 20 assists and four well-timed kills, all on dump shots, to frustrate a very competitive Islander squad.
    "Breanna definitely makes the difference on our team," Lewis said.
    Five KingCo 3A teams advance to district play along with seven Metro League teams starting Thursday. Along with Newport and Mercer Island, Issaquah, Skyline and Cedercrest also qualified.
    Callie Webster had 10 kills for the Islanders (14-6 overall) against Newport and Anne MacDougall added eight. Ali Wiley had 40 assists in two games yesterday, including a semifinal win over Issaquah.
    Stewart thought everyone played well all season. "We've had amazing chemistry since we first stepped on the court and we've really pulled it together the last few games," she said.
    "Everyone was awesome tonight. We have the makeup of a state team and if we play well, we should be able to place at least very well in state this year."
    Newport took a 6-0 lead in the first game but fell behind 12-9 and 14-13 before pulling out the win. After six sideouts, a kill by Stewart finished off the Islanders 16-14.
    Mercer Island opened game two with a 4-0 lead but could not solve Eshghi's shrewd sets and the power of Stewart and Lewis.
    "Our hitting consistency was very good," Newport Coach Steve Trachy said. "Our serving was tough, we were very scrappy and we were able to keep the ball in play. This team has a lot of good hitters."
    In the semifinals, Newport beat Skyline 15-8, 9-15, 15-8, and Mercer Island beat Issaquah 15-6, 15-5.

EJ Nov 2, 2002Newport's Eshghi: Setting the stage: Knights head to league tournament led by strong-willed senior. Late sometime during the Newport volleyball team's five-game victory over Skyline on Tuesday, setter Breanna Eshghi picked up her 1,000th career assist in her final 3A Kingco Conference match.
   It was fitting finish for Eshghi, who used to set the ball 1,000 times each night against the wall to improve her skills. So much repetition contributed to her carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition she has played through for more than three years.
But it turns out, nothing can stop Eshghi, who leads the favored Knights into today's league tournament at Newport High School. Matches begin at 2 p.m. with the championship scheduled for 5 o'clock. Newport swept through the regular season with a 13-0 record.
    ``We've been blessed to have her,'' said Knights coach Steve Trachy, of his senior standout.
    ``We'll find out next year how much we miss her.''
Impressive stats
    Eshghi, 17, wasn't aware she recorded assist No. 1,000. She doesn't chase numbers. They seem to follow her.
    In four years at Newport, Eshghi has earned all-league honors three times. On Wednesday she was named this season's Kingco MVP in a vote by league coaches.
    She has finished in the top 10 in assists three times, including a league-leading total of 325 this season.
    She has led Newport to two runner-up finishes at the Kingco tournament, three district appearances and two trips to state.
    Not bad for a kid who started playing in seventh grade as an outside hitter, switched to setter going into high school, but failed in one club-team tryout because she wasn't ``setting right.''
    But the 5-foot-4 Eshghi wasn't discouraged.
    ``I can't be second string,'' she said. ``I have to be on the court.''
    That's when Eshghi started to set the ball each night in her room before she went to sleep-- 10 sets of 100 each-- to get a ``sense of the ball,'' she said.
    She learned fast and made Newport's varsity as a freshman, but Eshghi thinks it was only because her sister, Andrla, was on the team. Andrla was a senior and one of the Knights' best players.
    Breanna, who saw limited playing time early that season, became a starter during the 1999 playoffs because of an injury to Erica Stewart. Eshghi started for the Knights at the state tournament.
Injury can't stop her
    Soon after state Eshghi was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome.
    Her doctor told her to stop playing volleyball and to stop playing the violin.
    ``I would have this shooting pain in my wrists,'' Eshghi said. ``Sometimes my hands would go completely numb. I would throw the bow out of my hands.''
    Eshghi quit playing the violin. But volleyball was too important to her. It still is. If she doesn't play in college next year, she has agreed to coach the Newport freshman/sophomore team.
    ``I have to have some volleyball in my life,'' Eshghi said. ``I would be empty without it.''
    Eshghi went to physical therapy, had her wrists taped and wore splints. She still rubs her hands together during matches. Other setters often give her a break at Newport practices. Even now, sometimes during matches she doesn't feel the ball.
    And for the past three weeks she has visited a chiropractor for eight dislocated vertebrae.
    But it is hard to tell. Every set is clean and puts a teammate in perfect position for a kill.
    ``I'll play no matter what,'' she said. ``The adrenaline gets going and I don't think about it.''
`Last shot'
    The determined Knights, including seniors Chelsea Lewis, Shannon Marquardson, Emily Oswell, Jillian Lowe and Vivian Choi and junior Shannon Stewart have followed Eshghi's lead, and that's why they believe this season will have a special ending.
   ``For a lot of us, this is our last shot,'' said Eshghi, regarding the postseason run that starts today. ``I have a lot of faith in the team. I enjoy this team so much. On and off the court, we have learned to trust each other. They're like my sisters.''
    But Eshghi, the littlest sister, always stands out.
    ``She brings a lot of energy to our team,'' Trachy said. ``She is popular. The kids really rely on her.''
    Bill Woten can be reached at bill.woten@eastsidejournal.com or 425-453-4255.
    Newport High volleyball Web site photo: Newport senior Breanna Eshghi recorded her 1,000th assist in high school matches Tuesday as the Knights completed a 13-0 3A Kingco season.

Times Nov 1, 2002. KINGCO 3A ALL-STARS . Most Valuable Player - Breanna Eshghi, sr., Newport. Coach of the year - Steve Trachy, Newport.
First team - Chelsea Lewis, sr., middle blocker, Newport; Hilary Bates, sr., outside hitter, Issaquah; Megan Townsend, sr., outside hitter, Cedarcrest; Nauzley Abedini, jr., outside hitter, Skyline; Anne MacDougal, sr., opposite hitter, Mercer Island; Maggie Olson, jr., setter/outside hitter, Mount Si; Alison Neuenschwander, sr., defensive specialist/ middle blocker, Mount Si; Shannon Stewart, jr., outside hitter, Newport.
Second team — Bethany Carlson, sr., defensive specialist/outside hitter, Issaquah; Callie Webster, so., outside hitter, Mercer Island; Emmalyn Kirschenman, so., Skyline; Kim Fickel, sr., setter, Sammamish; Ali Wiley, jr., middle blocker, Mercer Island; Kristine Grigsby, so., middle hitter/setter, Skyline; Sarah Primrose, so., setter/outside hitter, Issaquah; Lauren Allen, sr., middle blocker, Bellevue.
Honorable mention
Bellevue — Dominique Lemieux, sr., Andrea Bassett, sr., Andrienne Lyle, sr., Allie Lyons, so.
Mercer Island - Katie Oldenburg, Allison Stewart, sr., Emma Spiro, sr.
Cedarcrest — Stephanie Hern, jr., Betsy Westermann, so.
Liberty - Hillary Lefever, jr., Katharine Rodenberg, sr.
Interlake — Katie Taylor, sr., Lindsay Church, sr., Patty Novak, so., Heather Tadman, so.
Newport - Jillian Lowe, sr., Shannon Marquardson, sr., Vivian Choi, sr., Emily Oswell, sr.
Skyline — Lisl Schilperoort, jr., Stephanie McIntosh, jr., Mallory Graving, jr., Corrine Fulton, jr.

Times Oct 30, 2002 Volleyball State Rankings. Class 3A — 1, Seattle Prep; 2, Selah; 3, Columbia River; 4, Mount Rainier; 5, Bishop Blanchet; 6, Mark Morris; 7, Black Hills; 8, Newport; 9, Grandview; 10, White River.

EJ Oct 30, 2002. Lucky 13 for Knights. The Newport volleyball team completed an unbeaten 13-0 regular season with a tough five-game victory over Skyline. Games scores were 15-5, 4-15, 15-11, 13-15, 15-6. The Knights (17-3 overall) got 13 kills and 11 digs from Shannon Marquardson, 12 kills from Chelsea Lewis and 29 assists from Breanna Eshghi.
    ``It's pretty exciting,'' Newport coach Steve Trachy said. ``It's a great accomplishment. The kids are proud. Now it's time to start the second season.''
   Nauzley Abedini's 13 kills led the Spartans (9-4 league, 16-5 overall). Skyline coach Mark Peterson was proud of his team's effort.
   ``It's never easy to take a loss, but if we play at the league tournament like we did tonight, we'll be all right,'' he said.

Times Oct 30, 2002 Newport beat Skyline 15-5, 4-15, 15-11, 13-15, 15-6 (Highlights-Chelsea Lewis, N, 12 kills, 9 digs, 1 block; Shannon Stewart, N, 9 digs, 7 kills; Shannon Marquardson, N, 11 digs, 13 kills, 1 block 1 ace; Jillian Lowe, N, 12 digs, 5 kills, 3 blocks, 3 aces, 5 assists; Emily Oswelt, N, 2 kills, 6 blocks; Breanna Eshghi, N, 9 digs, 3 kills; Vivian Choi, N, 10 digs, 2 aces; Laura Chapman, N, 1 dig, 2 assists; Records-Newport 13-0.

Times Oct 29, 2002 Volleyball Postseason Looms  The KingCo 3A volleyball playoffs will be Thursday and Saturday at Newport High School. The top five teams will earn spots in the Sea-King District Tournament Nov. 7 and 9. The KingCo 4A volleyball tournament will be Nov. 9 at Bothell High School. The KingCo 3A schedule: Thursday: Game 1 — Bellevue vs. Cedarcrest (loser out), 5:30 p.m.; Game 2 — Sammamish vs. Skyline/Mercer Island (loser out), 5:30 p.m.; Game 3 — Winner Gm. 1 vs. Mercer Island/Skyline, 7:30 p.m.; Game 4 — Winner Gm. 2 vs. Mount Si, 7:30 p.m. Saturday: Game 5 — Winner Gm. 3 vs. Issaquah, 2 p.m.; Game 6 — Winner Gm. 4 vs. Newport, 2 p.m.; Game 7 — Loser Gm. 5 vs. Loser Gm. 6 (winner 3rd, loser 4th), 3:30 p.m.; Game 8 — Loser Gm. 3 vs. Loser Gm. 4 (winner 5th, loser out), 3:30 p.m.; Game 9 — Winner Gm. 5 vs. Winner Gm. 6 (winner 1st, loser 2nd), 5 p.m.

EJ Oct 26, 2002  Newport d. Interlake 15-5, 15-9, 15-5. Newport: Shannon Stewart 5 kills, 1 dig, 1 ace; Chelsea Lewis 8 kills, 2 digs; Shannon Marquardson 3 kills, 1 block, 3 digs, 3 aces; Jillian Lowe 3 kills, 1 block, 1 dig, 1 ace; Breanna Eshghi 1 kill, 1 dig, 18 assists; Emily Oswell 1 kill, 1 dig, 1 ace; Vivian Choi 2 digs, 5 aces; Laura Chapman 3 kills, 1 block, 1 ace, 6 assists; Sara Shellenberger 1 kill, 1 block; Jenny Freed 3 kills; Laura Loesch 1 kill. Record: 16-3 overall.

Times Oct 26,2002. Newport beat Interlake 15-5, 15-9, 15-5 (Highlights- Chelsea Lewis, N, 8 kills, 2 digs; Shannon Stewart, N, 5 kills, 1 dig, 1 ace; Shannon Marquardson, N, 3 kills, 1 block, 3 digs, 3 aces; Jillian Lowe, N, 3 kills, 1 block, 1 dig, 1 ace; Breanna Eshghi, N, 1 kill, 1 dig, 18 assists, Laura Chapman, N, 3 kills, 1 block, 6 assists; Emily Oswell, N, 1 kill, 1 dig, 1 ace; Vivian Choi, N, 2 digs, 5 aces; Jenny Freed, N, 3 kills; Sara Shellenberger, N, 1 kill, 1 block; Laura Loesch, N, 1 kill. Records-Newport 12-0, 16-3).

EJ Oct 24, 2002. Newport d. Liberty 15-2, 15-10, 15-7 Newport: Breanna Eshghi 3 kills, 2 aces, 14 assists; Shannon Marquardson 2 kills, 1 ace; Shannon Stewart 7 kills, 6 digs, 1 ace, 2 assists; Emily Oswell 1 kill, 1 block; Jillian Lowe 1 kill, 1 block; Chelsea Lewis 4 kills; Jenny Freed 1 kill, 2 aces; Vivian Choi 3 digs, 2 aces; Laura Chapman 3 kills, 1 block; Sara Shellenberger 2 blocks; Laura Loesch 2 kills; Stephanie Pietromonaco 2 assists. Record: 15-3 overall.

Times Oct 24, 2002. Newport beat Liberty 15-2, 15-10, 15-7 (Highlights-Shannon Stewart, N, 7 kills, 6 digs, 1 ace, 2 assists; Jenny Freed, N, 1 kill, 2 aces; Shannon Marquardson, N, 2 kills, 1 ace; Breanna Eshghi, N, 3 kills, 2 aces, 14 assists; Vivian Choi, N, 3 digs 2 aces. Records — Newport 7-0, 15-3).

EJ Oct 22, 2002. Athlete of the Week. Chelsea Lewis, Newport Sport: Volleyball Position: Middle hitter.  Last week's highlights: Lewis had 12 kills in Newport's 15-4, 15-10, 16-14 win over Mercer Island, helping put the Knights in position to clinch the 3A Kingco title. Notable: Lewis plays year-round for the Sudden Impact club team and has a 3.5 grade point average. Her older brother, Rommie Lewis, pitched for Newport's baseball state championship team in 2001. Quotable: ``She's a dedicated, fairly intense player. She works really hard at her sport and she's a good team leader,'' said Newport coach Steve Trachy.

EJ Oct 21, 2002. Applause.  She's in `Who's Who': * Kimberly Oakley of Newport High School in Bellevue has been accepted into ``Who's Who Among American High School Students.'' She is a reporter on the school newspaper, has been a volleyball manager and has received Knight Valor, the schools' community service award. She is the daughter of Chris and Bill Oakley of Bellevue.

EJ Oct 19, 2002. Newport d. Cedarcrest 15-6, 15-2, 15-9. Newport: Shannon Stewart 3 kills, 7 digs, 9 aces; Chelsea Lewis 4 kills, 3 blocks, 2 digs, 1 ace; Shannon Marquardson 4 kills, 3 digs; Jillian Lowe 4 kills, 2 blocks, 4 digs, 4 aces; Sara Shellenberger 1 block; Laura Chapman 1 block, 1 assist; Charisse Wu 1 kill, 3 digs; Breanna Eshghi 2 kills, 13 assists; Vivian Choi 5 digs, 1 ace. Record: 14-3 overall.

Times Oct 19, 2002. Newport beat Cedarcrest 15-6, 15-2, 15-9 (Highlights- Shannon Stewart, N, 3 kills, 7 digs, 9 aces; Breanna Eshghi, N, 2 digs, 13 assists; Vivian Choi, N, 5 digs; Chelsea Lewis, N, 4 kills, 3 block, 2 digs, 1 ace; Shannon Marquardson, N, 4 kills, 3 digs; Jillian Lowe, N, 4 kills, 2 blocks, 4 digs, 4 aces; Sara Shellenberger, N, 1 block; Laura Chapman, N, 1 assist, 1 block; Charisse Wu, N, 1 kill, 3 digs; Records - Cedarcrest 4-7, 7-10; Newport 10-0, 14-3 ).

Times Oct 17, 2002. KingCo 3A volleyball: Newport states its case, trips No. 4 MI By Rosie Leutzinger Seattle Times staff
    MERCER ISLAND — Breanna Eshghi and Chelsea Lewis posed for pictures on the Newport volleyball Web site a month ago. Judging by their ear-to-ear grins and two-thumbs-up poses, you would think the pictures were taken last night.
    Newport stayed undefeated in KingCo 3A play and made a point to volleyball coaches state-wide by beating fourth-ranked Mercer Island, 15-4, 15-10, 16-14.
    It was Newport's second win this season over the Islanders (8-3 league, 11-3 overall). But despite that victory and a spotless league record, the Knights (9-0, 13-3) came in unranked and unhappy. They made an emphatic statement, overpowering Mercer Island early and holding off an inspired rally late.
    "The rankings did not come out at the right time," said Newport Coach Steve Trachy. "They were done a little too early in the season. But we are certainly not afraid of Mercer Island. We have had a lot of knock-down, drag-outs with them and look at this as a fun, challenging game to play."
    Eshghi, a senior setter, led Newport with 20 assists and seemed to hold the momentum of the match at her fingertips. She spread the ball to several Knights hitters, but went to Lewis often when Mercer Island rallied in the third game. Lewis finished with a team-high 11 kills.
    The absence from the starting lineup of injured setter Ali Wiley, who suffered an ankle injury last week, hurt Mercer Island. The Islanders looked out of sync until she finally entered the match in the third game.
    "Mercer Island has always been our biggest rival," Lewis said. "This game is always our biggest game and winning it definitely helps our confidence."
    And for Lewis and Eshghi, it definitely helps their grins grow even wider.

EJ Oct 17, 2002. Volleyball: Knights a cut above. Journal staff MERCER ISLAND -- The Newport volleyball team didn't only want to win Wednesday night, the Knights wanted to make a statement.
    Newport did just that, all but wrapping up its first 3A Kingco Conference regular-season title with a convincing three-game victory over Mercer Island.
    Game scores at the Islanders' gym were 15-4, 15-10, 16-14.
    The Knights improved to 9-0 in the Sky Division and lead the second-place Islanders (8-3) by two matches with four remaining.
    In one of the league's best rivalries, Newport improved to 4-6 against Mercer Island since 1998. Wednesday was the first time one of those matches was decided in three games. Five of the 10 went five games.
    ``It's always our biggest match of the season,'' said Knights senior setter Breanna Eshghi, a four-year varsity standout. ``We really wanted to do it in three games.''
    In front of a vocal Islanders crowd, Newport took control early behind the serving of Jillian Lowe.
    ``She quieted them a little bit,'' said Knights coach Steve Trachy.
    Newport (13-3 overall) built a two-game lead, but fell behind 13-8 in Game 3. The Knights fought off a couple of game points before rallying to close out the match.
    ``Chelsea Lewis just nailed one at the end,'' Trachy said. ``Shannon Stewart too. They were really emphatic hits. It showed me that they weren't going to lose this one.''
    Lewis finished with 12 kills, Stewart had seven, Lowe 6 and Shannon Marquardson five. Eshghi contributed 22 assists, and Vivian Choi had 12 digs.
    While several Kingco teams rely on one key hitter at the net, Newport spreads around its attack. Opponents have a difficult time setting up their blocks.
    ``Wherever I'm at on the court, I have confidence that I can give the ball to somebody who will put it away,'' Eshghi said.
    The Knights, who were a narrow preseason favorite to win the league title, are setting their sights on a strong final month.
    ``We knew we had a good team,'' Trachy said. ``We felt confident we could win and we still feel that way.''
    Trachy said the Knights are becoming more serious and business-like, and they should view winning the state tournament as an attainable goal.
    ``Personally, I feel we have shot,'' Trachy said.
    Eshghi agreed.
    ``We have no volleyball banners in our gym,'' she said. ``We want to get three of them (Kingco, district, state).''
    Anne MacDougall had seven kills, and Allison Stewart had six for Mercer Island (10-3 overall).
    The Islanders were hurt by several passing errors, coach Dino Annest said.
    Starting setter Ali Wiley, who missed Mercer Island's previous two matches with a sprained ankle, played in Game 3 only. She had nine assists.
    The Islanders won the past five Sky Division championships.

EJ Oct 17, 2002. Newport d. Mercer Island 15-4, 15-10, 16-14. Newport: Shannon Stewart 7 kills, 12 digs, 2 aces; Chelsea Lewis 12 kills, 2 blocks, 4 digs; Shannon Marquardson 5 kills, 5 digs, 4 aces; Jillian Lowe 6 kills, 1 block, 11 digs, 2 aces; Breanna Eshghi 2 kills, 7 digs, 1 ace, 22 assists; Vivian Choi 12 digs, 1 ace. Record: 13-3 overall.

Times Oct 17, 2002. Newport beat Mercer Island 15-4, 15-10, 16-14 (Highlights-Jillian Lowe, N, 11 digs, 2 aces; Vivian Choi, N, 12 digs, 1 ace; Chelsea Lewis, N, 11 kills, 2 blocks, 4 digs; Shannon Marquardson, N, 5 kills, 5 digs, 4 aces; Breanna Eshghi, N, 2 kills, 20 assists, 7 digs, 1 ace; Shannon Stewart, N, 7 kills, 12 digs, 2 aces; Ali Wiley, MI, 6 assists, 1 kill, 2 digs, 1 ace; Anne MacDougall, MI, 6 kills; Katie Oldenburg, MI, 4 assists. Records-Newport 9-0, 13-3; Mercer Island 8-3, 10-3).

Times Oct 16, 2002 State volleyball poll State rankings Wednesday, (Compiled by Washington State Volleyball Coaches Association)  Class 3A — 1, Seattle Prep; 2, Mount Rainier; 3, Selah; 4, Mercer Island; 5, River Ridge; 6, Mark Morris; 8, Bishop Blanchet; 9, Sequim; 10, Kennedy; 10, White River.

Times Oct 15, 2002. OTHER TOP GAMES THIS WEEK: VOLLEYBALL KingCo 3A: Newport at Mercer Island, Wednesday

Times Oct 12, 2002. Newport beat Issaquah 15-4, 15-6, 16-14 (Highlights- Shannon Stewart, N, 9 kills, 7 digs, 6 aces; Chelsea Lewis, N, 9 kills, 2 blocks, 5 digs, 1 ace; Shannon Marquardson, N, 8 kills, 9 digs, 3 aces; Jillian Lowe, N, 8 kills, 5 digs, 2 aces; Emily Oswell, N, 1 kill 2 blocks; Breanna Eshghi, N, 2 kills, 12 digs, 3 aces, 26 assists; Laura Chapman, N, 1 kill, 3 assists; Vivian Choi, N, 7 digs, 2 aces; Charisse Wu, N, 1 dig, 1 ace; Records- Newport 8-0).

Times Oct 10, 2002. Newport beat Bellevue 15-1, 15-5, 15-8 (Highlights-Shannon Stewart, Newp, 10 kills, 4, digs, 6 aces; Chelsea Lewis, Newp, 5 kills, 3 blocks, 3 digs; Shannon Marquardson, Newp, 4 kills, 2 aces; Jillian Lowe, Newp, 4 kills, 1 block; Emily Oswell, Newp, 4 kills, 1 block; Records-Newport 7-0, 11-3; Bellevue 3-5, 3-7).

EJ Oct 10, 2002. Newport d. Bellevue 15-1, 15-5, 15-8. Newport: Shannon Stewart 10 kills, 4 digs, 6 aces; Chelsea Lewis 5 kills, 3 blocks, 3 digs; Shannon Marquardson 4 kills, 2 aces; Jillian Lowe 4 kills, 1 block; Emily Oswell 4 kills, 1 block; Laura Chapman 3 kills, 3 blocks, 9 assists; Vivian Choi 5 digs, 1 ace; Breanna Eshgi 3 digs, 16 assists; Sara Shellenberger 1 kill, 1 block; Cybal Li 2 kills, 1 dig, 1 ace; Laura Loesch 1 kill. Record: 11-3 overall.

Times Oct 5, 2002. Newport beat Mount Si 15-2, 15-6, 11-15, 15-8. (Highlights- Shannon Stewart, N, 10 kills, 3 aces; Chelsea Lewis, N, 13 kills, 4 blocks; Shannon Marquardson, N, 12 kills, 2 blocks; Jillian Lowe, N, 5 kills, 1 ace; Emily Oswell, N, 3 kills; Jenny Freed, N, 2 kills, 1 ace; Laura Chapman, N ,2 kills; Vivian Choi, N, 1 ace; Brianna Eshghi, N, 53 assists, 6 kills.)

EJ Oct 3, 2002. Newport d. Interlake 15-2, 15-11, 15-2. Newport: Shannon Stewart 3 kills, 2 aces; Jenny Freed 2 kills, 2 digs, 1 ace; Laura Chapman 3 kills, 1 dig, 1 ace, 12 assists; Chelsea Lewis 6 kills, 2 blocks; Breanna Eshghi 2 digs, 6 assists; Sarah Shellenberger 2 kills; Vivian Choi 3 digs; Laura Loesch 1 kill; Shannon Marquardson 3 kills, 1 dig. Record: 9-3 overall.

Times Oct 3, 2002. Newport beat Interlake 15-2, 15-11, 15-2 (Highlights-Shannon Stewart, N, 3 kills, 2 aces; Chelsea Lewis, N, 6 kills, 2 blocks; Shannon Marquardson, N, 3 kills, 1 dig; Laura Chapman, N, 3 kills, 1 dig, 1 ace, 12 assists; Sarah Shellenberger, N, 2 kills; Breanna Eshghi, N, 2 digs, 6 assists; Emily Oswell, N, 3 kills; Vivian Choi, N, 3 digs; Jenny Freed, N, 2 kills, 2 digs, 1 ace; Laura Loesch, N, 1 kill.)

Times Oct 2, 2002.  State volleyball poll.  (Compiled by the Washington State Volleyball Coaches Association. Next rankings will be released on Oct. 15).  Class 3A — 1, Seattle Prep; 2, Mount Rainier; 3, Selah; 4, Mercer Island; 5, Columbia River; 6, Bishop Blanchet; 7, West Valley (Yakima); 8, Kennedy; 9, Burlington-Edison; 10, White River.

Times Sep 28, 2002. Newport beat Sammamish 15-0, 15-2, 15-4 (Highlights-Whitney Carter, N, 1 kill; Shannon Stewart, N, 4 kills, 5 digs, 2 aces, 4 assists; Jenny Freed, N, 4 kills, 3 digs; Shannon Marquardson, N, 3 kills, 1 dig; Laura Chapman, N, 2 kills, 1 dig, 1 ace; Sarah Shellenberger, N, 4 kills; Charisse Wu, N, 4 digs, 1 ace; Vivian Choi, N, 1 dig, 2 aces; Breanna Eshghi, N, 1 kills, 3 digs, 15 assists. Records-Newport 4-0, 8-3).

Times Sep 27, 2002. KingCo 3A Favorites — Issaquah, Mercer Island, Newport. Contenders — Cedarcrest, Mount Si, Skyline. Defending champ — Issaquah. Top returning players — OH Nauzley Abedini, 5-7, Jr., Skyline; MH Hilary Bates, 5-10, Sr., Issaquah; OH/DS Bethany Carlsen, 5-8, Sr., Issaquah; S Breanna Eshghi, 5-5, Sr., Newport; S Kim Fickel, 5-6, Sr., Sammamish; RS Anne MacDougall, 5-8, Sr., Mercer Island; DS Alison Neuenschwander, 5-4, Sr., Mount Si; MB Chelsea Lewis, 5-10, Sr., Newport; MB Allison Stewart, 5-11, Sr., Mercer Island; OH Megan Townsend, 5-10, Sr., Cedarcrest. Outlook — Coaches like Newport in the Sky Division and Issaquah in the Valley Division. Mercer Island, who lost to Issaquah for the KingCo 3A title last season, also should be strong.

Times Sep 25, 2002. Newport beat Bellevue 15-9, 15-6, 15-12. (Highlights-Shannon Marquardson, N, 8 kills, 4 digs, 1 ace; Shannon Stewart, N, 10 kills, 2 digs, 1 ace, 7 assists; Breanna Eshghi, N, 2 digs, 28 assists; Jillian Lowe, N, 9 kills, 1 block, 1 dig, 6 aces; Chelsea Lewis, N, 7 kills, 1 block; Andrea Bassett, B, 7 digs, 11 assists.

EJ. Sep 25, 2002 Newport d. Bellevue 15-9, 15-6, 15-12.  Newport: Jillian Lowe 9 kills, 1 block, 6 aces, 1 dig; Emily Oswell 2 kills, 2 blocks, 4 aces, 1 dig; Shannon Marquardson 8 kills, 1 ace, 4 digs; Shannon Stewart 10 kills, 1 ace, 7 assists, 2 digs; Breanna Eshghi 28 assists, 2 digs; Jenny Freed 1 kill, 1 dig; Sarah Shellenberger 1 kill, 2 blocks; Vivian Choi 4 digs; Chelsea Lewis 7 kills, 1 block. Record: 7-3 overall.

Times. Sep 25, 2002.  KingCo 3A volleyball capsule preview. Newport Knights
Coach: Steve Trachy (6th year) 2001 record: 9-4 conference Returning starters: S Breanna Eshghi, 5-5, Sr.; MB Chelsea Lewis, 5-10, Sr.; OH Shannon Stewart, 5-7, Jr. Other key returners: MB/RS Laura Chapman, 5-10, Jr.; DS Vivian Choi, 5-1, Sr.; OH Shannon Marquardson, 5-8, Sr.; MB Emily Oswell, 5-10, Sr.; OH Ryan Trettevik, 5-9, Jr. Impact newcomers: OH Jenny Freed, 5-6, Jr.; DS/S Charisse Wu, 5-4, Jr. Outlook: Knights return a pair of All-KingCo 3A first-teamers in Eshghi and Lewis. Setting should be a strength, as should play in middle. Team is experienced and balanced.

Times Sep 24, 2002.Knights head south.  The Newport volleyball team won three of its five matches and finished in the top third of its 24-team division last weekend at the Dave Mohs Memorial Tournament in Huntington Beach, Calif.
   The Knights beat Sunny Hills (15-12, 15-1) and Laguna Hills (15-4, 9-15, 15-12) and lost to El Modena (15-9, 16-14) in pool play, then beat Ayala (15-11, 16-14) in the first round of championship play before being eliminated by Morgan, Utah (15-7, 15-4).
   The tournament attracted 60 teams, most of them from Southern California.
   "I thought we played really well," Coach Steve Trachy said. "The idea is to go down there and be challenged, and the fact that you're away from home, the team gets to know each other a little bit. Every game we played was pretty solid."

• Six of 10 volleyball coaches in KingCo 3A are in their first or second year. Two more are third-year coaches. Newport's Trachy, entering his sixth season with the Knights, has the longest current tenure.

EJ. Sep 24, 2002. Newport d. Eastlake 11-15, 11-15, 15-5, 15-12, 15-8. Shannon Marquardson 15 kills, 1 block, 8 digs, 2 aces; Shannon Stewart 9 kills, 14 digs, 4 aces, 8 assists; Jillian Lowe 12 kills, 2 blocks, 10 digs, 3 aces, 2 assists; Breanna Eshghi 5 kills, 12 digs, 3 aces, 46 assists; Laura Chapman 6 kills, 2 blocks, 4 digs; Emily Oswell 4 kills; Jenny Freed 2 kills, 1 dig; Sarah Schellenberger 2 kills, 1 block; Vivian Choi 1 kill, 12 digs. Record: 6-3 overall.

Breanna Eshghi, Newport. Year: Senior. Sport: Volleyball. Events: Setter.Last week's highlights: Eshghi had 47 assists, eight kills and four aces in the Knights' five-game victory over fellow Kingco power Mercer Island Wednesday. Notable: Eshghi has been team MVP for three years and plays club volleyball for Sudden Impact. She has a 3.85 grade point average and likes to draw, paint and dance. Eshghi describes herself as the team clown and said she does a strong Muppet impersonation.

Times. Sep 23 2002. Newport beat Eastlake, 11-15, 11-15, 15-5, 15-12, 15-8 (Highlights-Shannon Stewart, N, 9 kills, 14 digs, 4 aces, 8 assists, Jillian Lowe, N, 12 kills, 2 blocks, 10 digs, 3 aces, 2 assists; Shannon Marquardson, N, 15 kills, 1 block, 8 digs, 2 aces; Emily Oswell, N, 4 kills; Laura Chapman, N, 6 kills, 2 blocks, 4 digs; Breanna Eshghi, N, 5 kills, 12 digs, 3 aces, 46 assist; Jaenny Freed, N, 2 kills, 1 dig; Sarah Shellenberger, N, 2 kills, 1 block; Vivian Choi, N, 1 kill, 12 digs. Records-Newport 6-3).

EJ. Sep 21, 2002. Dave Mohs Invitational at Huntington Beach, Calif. Newport d. Sunny Hills 15-12, 15-1.Newport: Chelsea Lewis 3 kills, 1 block; Shannon Marquardson 2 kills; Shannon Stewart 5 kills, 1 ace; Breanna Eshghi 2 aces; Laura Chapman 2 kills; Jillian Lowe 2 kills, 4 aces; Emily Oswell 1 kill, 1 block. Record: 3-1 overall.
   Newport d. Luguna Hills 15-4, 9-15, 15-12. Newport: Chelsea Lewis 3 kills, 1 block; Shannon Stewart 4 kills, 2 aces; Breanna Eshghi 1 kill, 3 aces, 17 assists; Jillian Lowe 3 kills, 1 block, 4 aces; Laura Chapman 1 kill, 1 block; Shannon Marquardson 7 kills; Emily Oswell 1 block; Vivian Choi 1 ace. Record: 4-1 overall.

Times. Sep 19, 2002 Newport beats Mercer Island 15-1, 15-6, 10-15, 14-16, 15-12. Highlights-Shannon Stewart, N, 15 kills, 11 digs, 5 aces; Chelsea Lewis, N, 11 kills, 1 block, 3 aces; Shannon Marquardson, N, 11 kills, 1 block, 5 digs, 2 aces; Jillian Lowe, N, 12 kills, 10 digs; Laura Chapman, N, 2 kills, 2 blocks; Breanna Eshghi, N,  8 kills, 2 digs, 4 aces, 47 assists.

EJ. Sep 19, 2002 Newport d. Mercer Island 15-1, 15-6, 10-15, 14-16, 15-12.  Newport: Shannon Stewart 15 kills, 11 digs, 5 aces; Jillian Lowe 12 kills, 10 digs, 3 assists; Chelsea Lewis 11 kills, 1 block, 3 aces; Shannon Marquardson 11 kills, 1 block, 5 digs, 2 aces; Laura Chapman 2 kills, 2 blocks; Breanna Eshghi 8 kills, 2 digs, 4 aces, 47 assists.

EJ. Sep 19, 2002. Newport tops MI in five; Knights grab early lead in 3A volleyball. BELLEVUE-- The Newport High volleyball team jumped out quickly and finished strong Wednesday night in a five-game victory over Mercer Island in a Sky Division early-season showdown.
   Game scores at Newport were 15-1, 15-6, 10-15, 14-16, 15-12.
   The Knights, preseason favorites to win the 3A Kingco title, improved to 2-0 in league and 2-1 overall. The Islanders dropped to 1-1, 3-1.
   ``We came out quickly,'' Newport coach Steve Trachy said. ``But volleyball is one of those games that can change in a hurry. We knew MI was going to come back.''
   Mercer Island did fight back to even the match. In the fifth and deciding game, the Knights built a 6-0 lead, but the Islanders later held leads of 9-8 and 12-11 only to be denied.
   ``We just couldn't put a ball down at the end,'' Mercer Island coach Dino Annest said.
   Shannon Stewart finally ended the long match. She delivered the winning kill on her third swing during a long match point.
   ``It was a great point,'' Trachy said. ``She was dog tired at the end and showed a lot of guts to make that kill.''
   Stewart led a balanced Newport attack with 15 kills. Jillian Lowe (12 kills), Chelsea Lewis (11) and Shannon Marquardson (11) also had double-figures in kills. Stewart added five aces, and setter Breanna Eshghi had 47 assists.
   Callie Webster had 17 kills, Allison Stewart had 11 blocks and Ali Wiley added 38 assists for Mercer Island. The Islanders' early deficit proved to be too much.
   ``The first game, they served us right off the court,'' Annest said.
   The Knights' victory was just their third in the past nine matches against Mercer Island.
   The rivalry is one of the best in Eastside volleyball. Five of those nine matches required five games.
   PHOTO by Steve Shelton/Journal: Newport's Laura Chapman watches her spike fly past Mercer Island's Callie Webster (2) and Allison Stewart (1) Tuesday night.

EJ. Sep 11, 2002. Newport d. Skyline 15-3, 11-15, 15-10, 15-5. Newport: Shannon Marquardson 12 kills, 3 digs, 7 aces; Shannon Stewart 9 kills, 9 digs, 4 aces; Breanna Eshghi 6 kills, 8 digs, 6 aces, 38 assists; Chelsea Lewis 11 kills, 3 blocks; Laura Chapman 5 kills, 1 block, 2 digs; Emily Oswell 2 kills, 3 blocks; Vivian Choi 6 digs. Record: 1-0 league, 1-1 overall.

Times. Sep 10 2002.  Newport beat Skyline 15-3, 11-15, 15-10, 15-5 (Highlights-Shannon Marquardson, N, 12 kills, 3 digs, 7 aces; Shannon Stewart, N, 9 kills, 9 digs, 4 aces; Breanna Eshghi, N, 6 kills, 8 digs, 6 aces, 38 assists; Chelsea Lewis, N, 11 kills, 3 blocks; Laura Chapman, N, 5 kills, 1 block, 2 digs; Emily Oswell, N, 2 kills, 3 blocks; Vivian Choi, 6 digs).

Times Sep 9, 2002. Bothell beat Newport 11-15, 15-12, 9-15, 15-11, 15-10 (Highlights — Shannon Stewart, N, 7 kills, 12 digs; Chelsea Lewis, N, 13 kills, 4 blocks; Shannon Marquardson, N, 7 kills, 4 aces, 5 digs; Laura Chapman, N, 11 kills; Breanna Eshghi, N, 3 kills, 3 aces, 28 assists; Vivian Choi, N, 10 digs; Charisse Wu, N, 5 assists, 8 digs).