One of the most successful seasons in Yakima Valley volleyball history ended with a third-place trophy at the NWAC Championships as the Yaks defeated rival Columbia Basin in straight sets on Sunday afternoon.

McKenna Steiner threw down 13 kills and Kaitlyn Leaverton had 10 as the Yaks rolled to a 25-19, 25-17, 25-23 victory over the Hawks to earn their second consecutive third-place finish at the NWACs. Ana Hrle and Payton Childers recorded eight kills apiece and Ailianna Quaempts had five as YVC finished with a solid .244 kill percentage. Joleen Jaeger delivered 24 assists and Kalilyn Gomez had 20 helpers, helping the Yaks to their ninth win in the past 10 matches. On the defensive side, Mia Carlson posted a team-high 17 digs, Leaverton had 13 and Steiner 12.

YVC's only loss this month came in the tournament semifinals against eventual runner-up and 2023 champion Linn-Benton on Saturday afternoon. Leaverton led the team with 10 kills, Hrle and Quaempts each had eight and Steiner added seven, but it wasn't enough in a 25-15, 20-25, 25-18, 25-15 defeat. Jaeger provided 21 assists and Gomez had 17 as YVC struggled to put the ball away against the dominant Roadrunners front line. Leaverton led the defense with 23 digs, Steiner scooped 14 and Aubrey Tornow had 12.

In Friday's quarterfinals against Highline, the Yaks were on their A-game, posting a .304 kill percentage in a 25-19, 25-17, 25-15 victory. Steiner and Leaverton paced the offense once again with 17 and 15 kills, respectively. Childers recorded six kills and Grace Hadaller had four, while Jaeger supplied a team-high 25 assists. Other highlights included Gomez with 16 assists and eight digs, Tornow with 12 digs and Steiner with 11 digs.

Coach Darci Dekker's team finished the season at 22-11 overall, winning 13 of their final 16 matches and a North Region championship in the opening round of the NWAC Championships.