Lynden Christian beats Mount Baker to secure District 1-2 spot
The Lyncs won three straight sets on Thursday to earn a state berth match against Bear Creek on Saturday.
By Sarah Reynolds ·
Lynden Christian volleyball defeated Mount Baker 25-17, 25-17, 25-20 on Thursday, Nov. 5, to claim the final spot in the District 1-2 crossover.
The win came two days after the Lyncs suffered a sweep in the district championship on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Head coach Kim Grycel said the team used that loss to their advantage. "We used Tuesday’s loss as motivation," senior libero Lyla Parriera said. "We know we're a good team and we want to keep going."
Mount Baker, known as the Mountaineers, kept the first set close by holding a 9-8 lead early. Lynden Christian then built a 14-11 advantage and closed out the set on a 4-1 run to take a 25-17 lead. The second set followed a similar pattern, with the Lyncs leading 11-4 before Mount Baker cut the deficit to 17-15. Lynden Christian outscored the visitors 8-2 in the final points to win the second set 25-17.
The third set saw Mount Baker fight to extend their season. The Mountaineers took a 6-1 lead, but Lynden Christian tied the score at 6-6. Mount Baker retook the lead at 10-9, but the Lyncs pulled ahead at 12-11 and never looked back. The lead expanded to 19-12 before senior middle blocker Jocelyn Eshuis recorded the final kill to end the match at 25-20.
Eshuis led Lynden Christian with 14 kills. Junior outside hitter Tyra Dykstra contributed 13 kills and 13 digs, marking her fourth match back from injury. Coach Grycel noted that Dykstra has been absent for a month but is finding her rhythm. "She’s starting to find a groove again, so we feel like we're on our way up," Grycel said.
Other offensive contributions came from Jess DeJong with 11 kills. Freshman setter Brielle Berendsen led the team with 19 assists, while sophomore setter Emeri Fritts added 13. Parriera recorded 16 digs and four aces. Mount Baker head coach Jennifer Galbraith praised her team's effort, stating that they made the Lyncs work for points.
The Mountaineers finished the season with a 6-9 record, which is the program's best since 2021. Five seniors, including Rebeca Soares and Hayden Macdonald, will move on from the team. Lynden Christian will face Bear Creek at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Bear Creek High School. The loser of that match will end their season, while the winner advances to the state tournament.
