2023 Season Concludes in the Top 12

Couer 'd Alene, ID - The Trojans concluded the 2023 regular season by finishing 6-6 in north region play, one of the toughest region's, if not the most competive region in the NWAC.  It was the second straight season that the Trojans qualified for the playoffs, and the first 20 plus win season since 2014.  Everett had high expectations for the season, after going 15-5 in non conference play, and earning an NWAC coaches poll ranking as high as 5th.  The only five losses came to eventual playoff teams, and included two losses to North Idaho, and two to Highline, two teams in which the Trojans would face at the East Regionals hosted by North Idaho College.  

After battling through the North, the Trojans finished in 4th place in the regional standings, meaning that EvCC would have to travel to a regional site in which four teams would vye for two spots in the NWAC Final 8. As the #4 seed out the North, Everett's first match up would be with host North Idaho College, the #1 seed out of the east.  North Idaho had won both contests earlier in the season, but they were highly contested and Everett entered the regionals with confidence.  EvCC jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the opening set against the Cardinals, but the home team reclaimed the lead at 10-9. Everett kept it to within two at 21-19, but NIC would prevail 25-21.  North Idaho carried the momentum through the rest of the match and won set two 25-17, and set three 25-7.

The loss put the Trojans into a loser out situation, having to face south #3 seed Lane who had lost earlier to west #2 Highline.  Everett was in a similar spot last year after falling the in the regional round opener to #1 Linn-Benton, but bounced back to defeat Pierce.  The Trojans would need to repeat history if they wanted to keep the 2023 season alive.  EvCC set the tone early by taking set one 25-13 and then rolled through sets two and three to end the Titans season, and prolong their own.  Malia Shepherd had 14 kills and 3 service aces while Cam Clarke led the team with 16 digs. 

Day one winners, Highline and North Idaho would square off on Sunday with the winner going to the NWAC final 8 in Lakewood, and the loser dropping down to face Everett.  North Idaho won the match in three sets, meaning the Trojans would have to face Highline for a third time this season to see who would be the second team to advance out of the east regional.  The Thunderbirds, although coming off a three set loss, looked more ready to play in that opening set and took EvCC down 25-18.  It would prove to be too difficult to recover the momentum back and Highline would go on to win the match in three sets. 

The 2023 season concludes with an overall record of 22-13, and when combined with last season's 19 wins, the two-season 41 win total is the most wins in consecutive seasons in the program's 45 year history.  It is also the first time in program history that EvCC has won at least one playoff game in back to back seasons, and a second straight season with an NWAC top 12 finish.  As a team the .158 hitting percentage is the third highest in program history, 10.59 kills per set, 1.44 blocks per set, 2.35 service aces, and 9.63 assists all rank as the 2nd highest totals in program history, and 14.4 points per set and 19.29 digs per set both rank as the most in program history.  There was also a number of individual accomplishments:

• Denna Gibb finishes her career at EvCC with 583 digs, and ranks 9th all time at EvCC in Digs per set over two seasons (2.58)
• Katie Serles finishes her career at EvCC with 989 assists and ranks as the most in program history at 7.04 assists per set
• Annika Jones tallied 495 career kills and 84 blocks.  Her 54 blocks this season ranks as 4th most all time at EvCC, and her career kills per set average of 2.18 ranks 6th.  Annika's blocks per set average of .37 ranks 6th over a career of two seasons.
• Cam Clarke was named NWAC defensive player of the week four times this season, a feat that has never before been accomplished at EvCC in any sport.  660 digs this season ranks as the most all time at EvCC and her career total of 796 gives her a digs per set average of 4.47 which ranks as second most all time at EvCC
• Malia Shepherd did it all for the Trojans with career totals of 803 kills, 145 service aces, 659 digs, 50 blocks, and a total of 984.5 points.  She's the first player in program history to have over 500 points in a single season and her 4.8 points per set average ranks as the highest all time in a single season.  She also has the points per set record in a career with 4.40.  She has the career kills per set record of 3.6, the career service aces record at .65 per set and also found her way into the top ten of digs per set at 9th with 2.96. 
• Coach Williams now has a career win total of 50 which is the most of any coach in EvCC program history through their first three full seasons.