Hoping to build off an undefeated regular season, the Unalaska Raiders are headed to the 2A Volleyball State Championships this week.
The girls’ varsity team qualified for state with a second-place finish at the regional tournament earlier this month.
Senior Captain Louella “Louie” Tan said she was thrilled to advance after narrowly missing a spot last season.
“I’ve always wanted to go to state," said Tan. "Last year was a really close one, and we only lost by three points. So it was really cool and awesome to make it this year."
As they prepare to take on Alaska's top teams, sophomore Alexis Magalong said the Raiders will have to rely on their speed and strong defense.
“We’re a lot shorter than [most] teams, so we’re expecting bigger players," said Magalong. "We’ll be fine, though.”
No matter what happens this postseason, Coach Amber Hanson said the young team should be a contender for years to come.
“We are very hopeful for the future," said Hanson. "Other than Louie, who’s our only senior on the varsity squad, all the rest are freshman and sophomores. So we’re very excited to see the growth in the next couple of years.”
The Raiders will take the court against Petersburg in their first game at state. They play Thursday at 3:15 p.m. at Anchorage's Dimond High School.
