By Ed Shepherd
Sports Correspondent

Evergreen's season ended with a five-game loss to the Lindbergh Eagles, 18-25, 24-26, 26-24, 26-24, 12-15, in West Central District 3 2A Volleyball Tournament action at Franklin Pierce High School Saturday, Nov. 7.

It's the success of the season that should be remembered, one ending where it's not ended for a long time now.

"I have been coach since 2005," said Bethany Tate, the Wolverines' head coach. "I missed coaching in the 2006 season, but came back in 2007. We have been to districts every year I've been here, but no state."
So, no difference there in past seasons to this season, as far as getting to districts is concerned. The Wolverines reached that spot the same as always in Tate's coaching tenure. But, there's more, as, by winning one game at districts, which the Wolverines did do this season, Tate can say that this season is punctuated with success.

"This is the closest we've come to making it to state," said Tate. "We usually go home from districts in two games."

The Wolverines opened district play with a win over the Sammamish Totems, 25-21, 25-23, 26-24, before losing its second-round game to the Fife Trojans, 12-25, 20-25, 17-25. Those are fairly competitive scores, too, against the Trojans, a team which took third place at districts and lost to the 2014 district champion North Kitsap three games to two in the district semifinal.

So, a lot to like about this ending to the season. Not just in the wins, but the losses, and, in fact, Tate commended her girls on playing tough with Fife, especially set two, getting to 20 points against them.
And the season was a success in more ways than one for the Wolverines, having played competitively against state caliber competition, like, the Trojans, and, also, the Wolverines having won a game at districts, for the first time in a long time.

"She's the best coach ever," said senior Danae Austin. "No matter if you played bad or good. She was very supportive through it all. She never let us get to that dark place."

So, that's nice to see, that kind of attention to detail, that winning mattered to Tate, for sure, but so did making sure these girls understood other things. They could know that whatever, whether good or bad things happened on the court, she was there for them.

This one just didn't go the Wolverines' way.

"Just do the best you can," said Tate, whose team took first place in the 2A Seamount with a 10-2 record, but was behind one team, Kennedy, who was 3A and finished 14-0 in league play. "Sometimes, your best is good enough, and sometimes it's not quite good enough."

Against the Eagles, the Wolverines' team was led, once again, by senior captain and middle blocker Mailey Faletogo, who recorded 17 kills in this match. Faletogo also recorded 10 digs.

Also helping out against the Eagles was J'vonne Hendricks, a senior with five kills and 17 digs. Luana Tupa, a junior, added two kills and seven digs and sophomore Elizabeth Lindo dug the ball nine times from hard-hit Eagles balls over the net.

Maria Martinez had 13 digs and Austin was a player mentioned.

"She's been a big impact player for us, she's made a lot of crucial differences for us this season, in the moment," said Tate. "You want to be able to pull from the bench and give the starters a breather and let them see what to do better. Danae did great, coming off the bench for us."

In the Eagles' loss, this last time, Austin spoke that her team gave it all they had out there.
"It was just, honestly, (pausing), it wasn't that we weren't focused. We wanted it just as much as them. They just showed it more."