Lake Stevens Volleyball Claims First State Title in Storybook Fashion, Viks Reach Pinnacle of Perfection After Dramatic Comeback
Lake overcomes 0-2 deficit to top-seed Curtis in five set classic... as all time great Vik Laura Eichert finishes with best performance yet. Lake Stevens 3, Curtis 2 (16-25, 22-25, 25-14, 25-17, 15-7)
“If you’re ever in trouble, I’ll be there on the double…Just send for me…If you ever need a helpin’ hand.”
YAKIMA SUNDOME — Since her freshman year, Lake Stevens Vikings middle Kamryn Strom has held the AUX cord, supervising the supply line of straight slappers fed via cable, direct to the powered-boombox that accompanied the volleyballers at practices, in locker rooms on busses and to and from the numerous road trips up and down the West Coast.
With great power comes great responsibility, and accordingly a competent DJ knows when to raise the tempo, when to let off the gas, when to hit an emotional note, and when to let the bass drop.
And these were the considerations facing Strom, AUX cord in hand before the Vikings headed out to their WIAA State 4A Finals match against the top-seed and defending champion Curtis Vikings.
When the time came to hit play, Strom dug in the crates and came out with a classic, raising the volume on the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Tyrell 1967 soul classic “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
“(The song) was something that really held us together,” Strom said, noting that the girls had watched “Remember the Titans” recently, the Denzel Washington-helmed feel-good football classic with a signature set piece that features a young Ryan Gosling boppin to the the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell hit.
Whether Strom knew the powerful story behind this song (more on that to follow), it’s inarguable that she hit the right notes with this selection, because as detailed by Gaye, the Viks would soon need to overcome mountains high (a two set Curtis lead in the final) and valleys low (a sluggish start and unforced errors that threatened the Viks perfect season) before reaching their ultimate destination.
Ultimately, the second-seeded Lake Stevens Vikings rebounded from a two-set deficit and closed the books on a perfect campaign with a dominating finish, claiming their first Class 4A state volleyball title last Saturday at the Yakima SunDome, 3-2 over Curtis – the defending champion.
Viking star Laura Eichert was at her scintillating best, amassing a career-high 46 kills in the come-from-behind victory. Sophomores Ella and Audrey Iseminger continued their All Wesco-level play, as did senior setter Olivia Gonzales, senior middle Kamryn Strom and senior OPP Maddie Sowers. Senior DS Katya Vladyko continued her excellence service, rounding out a full team effort.
The five set (16-25, 22-25, 25-14, 25-17, 15-7) finale win was the perfect exclamation point on a 24-0 season.
“You can’t describe this feeling,” Eichert, Lake’s Oregon-bound senior star said while hugging the championship trophy. “We’ve been trying to achieve this since we started the program and we wanted to bring it home for coach Kyle (Hoglund).”
“The work and the time and the effort? It all paid off,” Hoglund added.
A Perfect Season, Two Decades in the Making
In his nineteenth year with the program — and tenth as head coach, Hoglund had steadily laid the foundation of the most consistent program in 4A, finishing 8th or better in eight of the last nine years – including two second place finishes and two semifinal losses (fourth place finishes) in the last five years alone.
But the elusive title remained - a title that had remained out of the grip of Lake Stevens High School dating at least as far back as 1973.
During the four year Laura Eichert era, Lake Stevens had finished second to Graham-Kapowsin in Eichert’s freshman year, followed by a pair of semifinal losses resulting in fourth place finishes.
Undoubtedly, there was pressure on all involved to capitalize on the unparalleled talent offered by the reigning state player of the year.
“I would put her as the best player I’ve ever seen play in Washington state,” Coach Kyle Hoglund, on Senior Outside Hitter Laura Eichert.
The pressure didn’t show, however, as the Viks hit new heights throughout Eichert’s senior season. Lake Stevens redefined volleyball dominance, posting arguably the best season in modern 4A history.
Heading into the WIAA 4A State tournament, Lake was unbeaten, dropping just one set the entire season (to Arlington).
Lake kept this form in Yakima, storming through the opening rounds without surrendering a set, beating #15 Davis (25-17, 25-17, 25-18), #10 Issaquah (25-19, 25-19, 25-10) and #3 Gonzaga Prep in the Semifinals (25-21, 25-18, 25-19).
Top Seeds Face Off for Title
“We have a ‘so what’ mentality,” Eichert said. “We’re like goldfish, We just forget the last play and move to the next.”
The three dominant wins setup a finale with defending champion and top seed Curtis – a team Lake had beat on the road September 29 in straight sets – in doing so, ending the 2024 champs’ 34-match win streak in the process.
But if Lake thought their straight set dominance would continue through the finale, the defending champs had other ideas, opening up a two set lead with early excellence.
Curtis hit on all cylinders out the gate, with senior Selana Morales and junior Kayla Baker leading a 17-3 first set run, opening up a 20-8 lead that Lake Stevens couldn’t overcome, 25-16 to the defending champs. Curtis 1, Lake Stevens 0.
The second set was marred by uncharacteristic errors, ending with a Lake Stevens net violation – but Lake also showed some signs that the fog was clearing. But the SPSL’s Vikings took the set 25-22. Curtis 2, Lake Stevens 0.
Despite what would seem like a jarring deficit, a steep mountain to climb, Eichert said confidence remained high.
“You’ve just got to swing away, you know?” Eichert said. “Trust your teammates to cover you.”
(If you’re ever in trouble, I’ll be there on the double…)
Hoglund said he focused on getting the girls into the right mindset during the break – knowing that the talent was there to overcome the 0-2 start.
“We came out a little nervous in the first and second set. But I truly believed we were the better team all the way around. It was just about getting the brains right,” Hoglund said.
And Eichert stayed poised, focusing on the moment at hand instead of dwelling on lost points.
“We have a ‘so what’ mentality,” Eichert said. “We’re like goldfish, We just forget the last play and move to the next.”
Then the 2024 Gatorade State Player of the Year and WIAA State Tournament MVP went to work. Eichert hammered home a dozen kills in the third set with strong supporting play from Madison Sowers and Ella Iseminger.
Lake took the set with ease, 25-14. Curtis 2, Lake Stevens 1.
“Things started to change a bit,” Hoglund said, “We started picking up momentum.”
Curtis temporarily regained control in the fourth and had Lake on the ropes, firing out to a 15-10 lead, closing within ten points of a trophy. They’d win only nine more points the rest of the day.
Lake Stevens responded with a 13-1 run powered by Eichert and Olivia Gonzales, closing out the fourth set 25-17. Curtis 2, Lake Stevens 2.
It was all Lake Stevens in the fifth set, racing home to a 15-7 win punctuated by a signature Eichert kill.
Lake Stevens 3, Curtis 2, Final.
“We out-teamed them,” Eichert said. “We played from our hearts and played for each other.”
Hoglund said the difference between the slow start and the aggressive finish was attributed to the players basically taking a breath and letting their athleticism and skill lead the way.
“They trusted themselves and believed in themselves. The nerves calmed down,” Hoglund said.
Lake Stevens finished the season with a perfect 24-0 and record, a campaign that included two wins over the consensus number one team in the state (and 2024 title holder) Curtis. Curtis was seeking a third state title overall. (The SPSL’s Vikings first won in 2015, when first year coach Camryn Buell was a senior.)
All in all, it must be considered one of the most dominant and complete seasons in the modern history of 4A state volleyball.
Eichert’s Signature Performance Brings Home the Trophy, Ends Hall of Fame Career in Style
For Eichert, the championship caps an unparalleled career marked by a new state record in career kills (over 2,200), during which the six foot outside hitter reset the school kills record three times.
Eichert’s career will likely end with three banners hanging in the LSHS gymnasium: the 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year banner is up, Lake Stevens’ first state volleyball title will soon be hanging from the rafters, and the only question for 2025 is whether Eichert will win National Gatorade Player of the Year, or “just” another state player of the year honor.
Where does that put her in the pantheon of great volleyball players?
Hoglund says she’s the best.
“I would put her as the best player I’ve ever seen play in Washington state,” Hoglund told King 5 News.
“This is a girl that’s very determined. She not only cares about how she is and how much she puts into the game. But, she genuinely cares about her teammates and will come up and ask like, hey, how can I help this girl out? What can I do here? And that to me, that’s a rarity and it’s a fun thing to see that,” said Hoglund.
Senior middle Kamryn Strom told KRKO radio that while Eichert has always been the brightest of starts, she’s also been the quickest to hype up her teammates and celebrate in the success of others.
“She’s such a star, she really IS the best player in Washington and she knows what she’s doing out there on the court,” Strom said.
“But the thing that’s so amazing about her is that even though she’s the best, she gives everyone else their credit, she hypes everyone up, she always truly wants what’s best for the team.”
And the top-down, team-first commitment Eichert demonstrated…the delivered promise of teammates always having each others’ backs, is what— according to Strom1 — eventually threaded the individual players into a championship team.
(Just call my name and I’ll be there…if you need me, call me…you don’t have to worry.)
“We did it for each other, we did it for the coach, we did it for the program,” Eichert said. “You can’t be selfish. You have to play for each other and die on that court.”
State Tournament Notebook
This was Lake Stevens 13th appearance since 1973 in the 4A state tournament…. The Viks have placed at State in nine out of the last ten years, and — with the 2025 title, Lake has a first place finish, two seconds and two fourths in the last six years alone — by far the best aggregate performance in 4A….Lake is just the second Wesco school to win the title, Jackson won in 2010.
Recent Dominance
Lake Stevens’ Recent Finishes: 2025 1st; 2024 4th; 2023 4th; 2022 2nd; 2021 7th; 2020 COVID; 2019 2nd; 2018 7th; 2017 NP; 2016 8th
Lake Stevens’ Path to the Title, 2025
#15 Davis (25-17, 25-17, 25-18)
#10 Issaquah (25-19, 25-19, 25-10)
#3 Gonzaga Prep (25-21, 25-18, 25-19)
#1 Curtis (16-25, 22-25, 25-14, 25-17, 15-7)
**Beat Curtis twice, only lost one set during the regular season, ended Curtis’ 34 match win streak
A Powerful Song with an Emotional Back Story
The 1967 chart-topping sou hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” was the first collaboration and the first single from the debut album of soul artists Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Many are unaware that the legendary Motown star Gaye entered the scene as part of a duo. Although their relationship was professional, Gaye and Terrell were “inseparable”. So devastated was Gaye by the tragic 1970 death of Terrell – killed by a brain tumor at just 24 years of age – that despite barring all of Motown from attending the funeral, Terrell’s mother made an exception for Gaye to attend. Gaye didn’t sing in public in any fashion for more than two years after Tyrell’s death, and he didn’t perform the song again live. “In my heart,” Gaye said, “I could no longer pretend to sing love songs for other people. I couldn’t perform it.”
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” was listed by writers of the UK publication NME as one of the Top 150 Singles of All Time, and the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The song would go on to be covered by dozens of artists, including Diana Ross, The Supremes and The Temptations, as well as the songwriters Ashford & Simpson among others.
Previously:
As detailed in KRKO Radio’s Nov. 28, 2025 edition of “The Prep Sports Weekly Podcast”.