Knights earn tough sweep over Wasilla

WASILLA -- Normally with a volleyball match sweep, lopsided scores are expected. Not Tuesday.

Yes, Colony earned a 3-0 win over the rival Wasilla Warriors, but the Knights were not allowed to pop it into cruise control at all in the match. What Colony did do was stay one step ahead of the Warriors with a 25-18, 25-21, 25-18 win at Wasilla High School.

"It was a grudge match," Colony head coach Faith Scott said.

Injuries on both sides of the net played into the result. Wasilla was without both its starting outside hitters, Allie Johnson and Kaylee Johnson, and Colony standout Rochelle Ray was religated to part-time duty.

"We knew going in Wasilla had some players down and so did we," Scott said. "It was kind of up in the air."

Kaylee Johnson, a Wasilla junior, missed her second game of the season after having her wisdom teeth pulled. The pair of absent Johnsons created wholes for the Warriors at key hitter positions. The openings created opportunity for a talented Wasilla sophomore class, led by Anne Wesser, to see playing time.

"The sophomores did a great job," Wasilla head coach Marge Johnson said.

Johnson said Wesser is showing promise despite being away from the sport for the last three years.

Ray, hobbled by a lingering knee injury, saw limited action in the match.

"She injured her knee a couple years ago and it has been kind of off and on," Scott said. "She was fine all of last year, but this last week it has been hurting her bad."

The absence of Ray opened the door for other Knight hitters to be included in the action. Hallie Huggins recorded 11 attempts, with just two errors, and grabbed 13 digs in place of Ray.

"Hallie's just a great athlete," Scott said.

Kelsey Joynt led the Knights in the middle, sparking her club with six of her eight kills in the first game. Joynt nabbed consecutive kills midway through the first game to give the Knights a 12-7 advantage. The junior middle hitter tipped a ball over the net and smacked a powerful hit on

the next play.

"That's always been our game, we always try to mix things up as much as we can," Scott said. "not just going outside because that gets predictable. We've got great hitters all the way around."

In the second game of the match four points was the largest margin for either team. Neither team led by more than three points in the third game until Colony closed out the match with a 5-0 run.

"They picked it up really well that second game, doing what they need to doing, hitting the ball hard," Scott said.