Mission accomplished.

The Thomas Jefferson Raiders girls volleyball team did what it had to, what it wanted to do, and that did it, as the Raiders now will make the West Central District tournament for the first time in 15 years after they sealed their playoff spot with a win over host Federal Way Wednesday.

"This was a must win for us," said TJ head coach Robin McNett. "If we had lost we would have had to play a tie-breaker with K-M."

Scores were: game one 25-18, game two 25-19, game three 25-13.

"We had a goal to make it to districts and we made it," said Lauren Stark, a captain on the team along with Nyssa Hovda, both seniors.

Game one was close during it, it was 21-17 TJ late before TJ finally pulled pulled away. In that first game, it was Raiders junior Morgann Green and sophomore Katelyn Nugent pacing things with two kills apiece. Federal Way's Bri Bennett, a senior, led her team by virtue of her two ace serves.

Game two was within a few points throughout as well. Federal Way led it, 16-13, midway through before Nugent sparked a rally for the Raiders by slamming home a couple kills to her credit followed by a great dig diving to the floor to tie it, 16-16.

Nugent is doing pretty well for herself as a sophomore, playing against juniors and seniors in high school. She had six kills in this match, only trailing her teammate Green's seven.

"At the beginning of the season, I was kind of nervous, but now I am used to it," said Nugent of playing against more experienced upperclassmen.

So, still in game two, the Eagles built a three-point lead, with the exclamation to that 4-1 point run a kill by Nugent. The score was 20-17 then and the the two rivals traded points next to up the score to 22-19 before TJ scored three straight to win it.

The close games are something the Eagles have experienced this season and against good teams like Kentlake, a team with a 10-3 South Puget Sound League North record.

"Yeah, we lost a game 20-25 to them," said Taylor Harris, a junior captain on the Eagles.

You competed pretty good the first two games?

"Yeah, we have, especially against K-M, actually against everybody," said Harris. "It has been a fun season. I just wish we could win one match."

Harris did a good job for the Eagles in game three. She powered home a couple nice jumping kills, but the highlights ended right there as the Raiders tallied point after point to lead 16-4 behind senior Tonya Johnson's two aces and six straight service points and a kill a little later that made it 23-12 put the game point in perspective of victory shortly thereafter.

This was just a good season for the Raiders, 6-7, is so-so record-wise, but when you double your wins about and qualify for districts for the first time since the first George Bush was in his last term, it becomes a great season no matter what happens from here on out. Beating their other rival, Decatur, proved to be the start of the Raiders rolling toward the playoffs.

"After we beat Decatur, there was no stopping us," said Nyssa Hovda. "We took out the teams we needed to take out."

"This was a big goal for them (getting to districts)," said McNett.

And, rolling over Decatur has not been something the Raiders have had the satisfaction of doing in a long time.

"It's the first time in 10 years that we have beaten Decatur," said Stark. "This is the best season we have had ever."

And, speaking of playing Decatur, the Raiders lost the first two games of that first meeting of season before winning three straight, 3-2. Then in the second meeting, the Raiders swept their rival, 3-0.

Between this year and last year, what is different that makes these Raiders team stronger.

"This is the first group of seniors that have been with Robin for four years," said Heidi Haynes, assistant coach. "That core got stronger."

"They are a good group of girls, super smart," said McNett, who coached this team last year that received the award for academic excellence in 4A girls volleyball statewide (highest team grade point average.)

"They have really good hearts, they want to see each other succeed," added McNett.

The Raiders team has grown to know each other year after year since McNett took over three years ago. And it is a fun team, for young and old.

"I have a lot of fun, I love everybody," said Nugent.

Your coach?

"Yeah, she is an amazing coach," said Nugent. "She can relate to everything you are going through. She is someone you can talk to about anything."