ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Faith Courtney (Jr.) – Volleyball

The bright lights of the Yakima SunDome brought out the very best in Faith Courtney this weekend, as the standout Bulldog delivered one of the most impressive performances of the 1A tournament.  Her strong play helped propel the Bulldogs to a strong 3rd-place finish at the State Tournament, and her consistency from start to finish made her one of the unmistakable stars of the weekend.

Faith opened the tournament with a flawless showing against Omak, going a perfect 5/5 hitting with 5 kills—a preview of the elite play still to come. In the quarterfinals against perennial powerhouse Lynden Christian, she erupted for a personal-record 28/28 hitting, finishing with 18 kills, 6 digs, and 4 blocks in one of the most complete matches of her career.

Saturday was no different. Faith continued to be the steady, reliable presence her team needed, recording 10 kills and 11 digs in a crucial match against Chelan. She wrapped up her remarkable weekend in the 3rd-place match against La Center, hitting 20/21 with 8 kills, 7 digs, and a block to secure the Bulldogs’ podium finish.

Beyond the stats, this tournament was a statement. After being overlooked in All-SCAC selections, Faith used the state stage to prove she is not only one of the most impactful players in the conference—she’s among the top players in the entire state.

Head Coach Katie Broadbent praised both her talent and her team-first mentality:

“Faith can hit from anywhere on the court, but she unselfishly switched positions this year to play middle hitter. Faith has been a steady force and a huge part of our success during the season, and she provided the spark we needed in the postseason. Her hitting percentage during state this week was unreal. Faith confidently played all the way around for us after fellow teammate, Libero Mandy Barba, was sidelined with an injury. Faith is a joy to coach!”