East Jefferson varsity volleyball dropped their last three games and missed the playoffs.

The Rivals finished 5-13 in conference play, and 6-15 overall.

Nisqually League coaches awarded Second Team All League to Rival sophomore Penina Vailolo, of Chimacum High School.

Vailolo’s high-leaping blocks and spikes make her a dominant force at the net.

The league also recognized the Rivals for high character on the court, with the league’s Sportsmanship Award, for the second straight year.

Varsity freshman Kaetyn Riley called the season “challenging.”

Coach Carrie Beebe said, “I’m proud of the growth. There was a lot of improvement. I think the biggest issue was confidence, but once you get past that, they are amazing. Do I wish we could have gone farther? Of course. I know we were capable of it. However, I’m really proud of where we did go.”

Beebe and her assistants had their hands full coaching 46 players on four squads: Varsity, junior varsity, JV2, and C team.

Chimacum junior varsity athlete Taylor Frank said, “Each player, from all four squads, should be very proud of themselves for a complete season of fun, wins, losses and improvement.”

While the varsity struggled, the Rivals’ JV team finished the season strong, with a five-game winning streak.

That tour de force began with a 3-0 home sweep of Klahowya, continued with three 2-1 road wins over Vashon, Life Christian and Annie Wright, and concluded with a 3-0 drubbing of Seattle Christian, at home in Chimacum.

The JV finished 9-9 in conference play and 9-12 overall, suggesting a brighter future for the program.

“Each individual made large strides toward making themselves a better athlete, from having the best hits on the court to the best sportsmanship on the sidelines,” Frank said. “Though this season had its ups and downs, in the end, we were winners, not because we never lost, but because we never stopped trying.”