YAKIMA — The Prairie volleyball team worked extra late to reach heights it hasn’t been in more than a decade.

The cheers of Prairie and its fans filled an otherwise empty Yakima Valley SunDome at 11 p.m. Friday. That’s when the Falcons clinched their first trip to the state semifinals since 2012.

It didn’t matter that it was the last match of a full day at the Class 3A state tournament. Prairie put on a masterclass in sweeping Lakeside of Seattle in the quarterfinals, 25-18, 25-12 and 25-20.

Prairie kicked off its day shortly after 2 p.m. with a four-set win over White River in the round of 16. After dinner at their hotel, the Falcons returned for a match that didn’t start until 10 p.m., an hour later than scheduled.

“With this group of girls you’d have no idea what time of day it is,”

See Full Page