Prep volleyball: Royals drop season opener to Panthers

New Lynnwood Royals volleyball coach Surina Soumpholphakdy with her eye on the game while former coach Annalise Mudaliar looks on from behind the bench during the Lynnwood-Snohomish match Monday at Lynnwood High School. (Phtoos by Scott Williams)

Under the direction of long-time coach Annalise Mudaliar, the Lynnwood Royals volleyball team won numerous Wesco League titles, District 1 championships and qualified for the WIAA 3A State Volleyball Tournament each of the past three seasons. The Royals brought home a third-place finish — the best in school history — in 2023 and an eighth-place trophy last season.

After teasing for the past couple years that she would be retiring, Mudaliar finally made the call to walk away from the head coaching post this past off-season, leaving it to one of her previous players — Lynnwood 2021 graduate Surina Soumpholphakdy.

Royals Junior Maria Luna (22) attacks from outside over a Panthers defender.

With plenty of fanfare and expectation, the Soumpholphakdy-era of Lynnwood volleyball got underway on Monday. Unfortunately for Royals’ fans, it started with a 3-1 (25-19, 25-22, 18-25, 25-22) loss to the Snohomish Panthers in a non-league contest played at Lynnwood High School.

While holding leads at some point in each of the four sets on Monday, the Royals couldn’t hold off the motivated Panthers, who had come into the matchup on a five-match losing streak to Lynnwood over the past three seasons. This included a loss in the 2024 District 1 3A championship match last November.

Lynnwood’s Vanessa Olivar (14) attempts to cut a kill by two Snohomish blockers during the Royals-Panthers match.

Even with the defeat, Soumpholphakdy was pleased with the way her Royals’ squad performed on Monday.

“For the first match of the year, I was really proud of the way they played and the grit that they showed,” Soumpholphakdy said.

Lynnwood held a 13-10 lead in the first set and an 18-14 lead in the second before fading late in each. The Royals captured the third set 25-18 as junior Audrey Williams earned three of the team’s final five points in the game with big kills. But Snohomish (0-0 in 3A Wesco League North Conference, 1-2 overall) was able to close out the match by winning the last three points of a tight fourth set and leaving with the victory.

Lynnwood senior Makena Kaleo receives serve.

Williams led the Royals with 15 kills and four blocks in the match, anchoring a front line that included senior captain Makeno Kaleo. Williams and Kaleo, along with seniors Jayden Lorenz and Kirsti Yun, are the only returnees from Lynnwood’s 2024 team that won the District 1 3A title and earned the eighth-place finish at the state tournament in Yakima.

While the Royals (0-0 in 3A Wesco League South Conference, 0-1 overall) are no longer led by Mudaliar, the former coach is helping Soumpholphakdy during this 2025 season of transition.

“She’s a bucket of knowledge,” Soumpholphakdy said of Mudaliar. “I learn so much from her each and every day. And I’m communicating with her every day. I’m learning a lot from her.”

Former head coach Annalise Mudaliar speaks to Royals senior Makena Kaleo (29) during a timeout.

Mudaliar had been a part of the Lynnwood Friday practices during the preseason and said she is planning on being at all — or nearly all — of the team’s home matches this year.

With a young squad and tough matchups on their 2025 schedule (matches versus Stanwood on Sept. 18, Archbishop Murphy on Sept. 23, Lake Stevens on Sept. 30, Edmonds-Woodway on Oct. 6 and 29 are just a few of those), the Royals may go through some growing pains this season. But Soumpholphakdy said she isn’t leading Lynnwood volleyball only to seek victories on the court.

Lynnwood libero Adeline Tran (1) digs out a Panther kill.

Royals Maria Luna (22) and Audrey Williams (16) work together to block an attempted Panther kill.

“My goal is to develop my players, not only as athletes but as people,” Soumpholphakdy said. “I want them to be a good person on and off the court. Character matters a bunch to me, so teaching them life lessons through volleyball essentially and growing up human.”

When reminded that Mudaliar had similar objectives during her tenure as Lynnwood coach, Soumpholphakdy smiled. “She coached me well,” she added.