The outcome was as expected.

With a decisive 3-0 win over Cedar Rapids Washington Wednesday night in the Jefferson gym, the top-ranked and defending 4A champion Iowa City West girls advanced to their fourth straight state volleyball tournament.

For the Warrior women, who haven't been to state since 1994, losing in the regional finals is a harbinger that they're getting closer to the magic circle.

Under turnaround Coach Kari Lombardi, Washington finished its season at 20-18. Last year the team won only seven matches and Lombardi said there are much brighter days ahead.

"We're a very young team," she said following Wednesday's loss. "We're playing with three sophomores and three juniors, and our two seniors are defensive players.

"We made huge advances this year. I'm really proud of the girls' efforts."

As usual, the youngsters led the way in the match with Iowa City West. Sophomore Danielle Franklin posted seven kills and classmate Kelli Walters added seven. Junior Hanna Reese provided 22 assists. Senior Jessica Erb, who holds Washington's record for most digs in a season, added 11 more in her last game.

Winning is old hat for veteran Women of Troy Coach Kathy Bresnahan. And she says Washington is on the right track.

"They pushed us twice this year," she said after her squad pushed its own season mark to 36-6. "They're young, and they're only going to get better."

For Bresnahan, it's been a roller-coaster year haunted by tragedy. In August, team captain and inspirational leader Caroline Found was killed in a moped accident just down the street from the school campus.

Even though her team has been ranked No. 1 for most of the season, the coach says they've yet to play at their highest level.

"At times we've played the way we should be playing. But at other times we haven't played with energy and haven't played with heart.

"It's been hard. These are 17-year-old girls, and there are things that trigger the loss of Caroline. They're up and down."

What kept them going, she says, is the close bond that has developed among the teammates. "In many ways, this has been my most rewarding season ever because these are just great kids," she said.

Bresnahan said the team has been sluggish even in victories the past month, but that they slowly seem to be coming out of their funk in time for the state tourney.

They were dominant in the first two games with Washington, cruising to relatively easy 25-11 and 25-10 wins. The never-quit Warriors put up a fight in the third game with their backs against the wall.

They took their first lead of the night at 4-3 and were still tied at 9-9 after saving a shot they'd hit into the rafters of the Jeff gym. At the point, however, Iowa City's dynamic duo of seniors Shelly Stumpff and Olivia Fairfield took over.

Both racked up a series of kills that crushed Washington's spirit and West won the closer going away, 25-16.

Stumpff recorded 12 kills for the evening and Fairfield added seven. Fellow senior Kelley Fliehler contributed 30 assists.

"They're a very talented team," Lombardi said in defeat. "They have tradition, and they're well-coached. As you expect, they turn it on when they need to."

West will play Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln in the first round of the state tournament Wednesday at noon at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. The winner plays the winner of the Kennedy-Dubuque Hempstead match at noon on Nov. 11 in the semifinals. The championships is Nov. 12 at 11 a.m.