Knights upset

ANCHORAGE — After sweeping matches against 13 teams this season and storming through the regular season undefeated, the Colony Knights lost for the first time this season, suffering a 3-1 defeat to the Chugiak Mustangs during the first round of the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Volleyball Championships at West High School in Anchorage.

Following the match, Colony head coach Amy Carter said Chugiak was the better team overall, controlling several facets of the match.

“They blocked well,” she said. “We struggled a lot with hitting.”

The Knights started out strong in the first game, with middle hitter Allie Grazulis and outside hitter Sierra Hodgson dominating in front of the 10-foot line.

Both began the first game with crushing kills and a well-placed roofs against middle and outside hitters on the Chugiak team who seemed evenly matched.

The first game of what turned out to be just Colony’s sixth four-game match of the season sizzled with energy as Colony and Chugiak brought a season's worth of practice to the big show.

Colony squeaked out a win in the first game 25-22.

Unforced errors by Chugiak worked on the side of Colony at the start of the second game. Grazulis continued with punishing kills in the beginning, beating Chugiak's blockers with quick turns on her hitting trajectory.

After two back-to-back aces by Chugiak, however, Colony began to fall victim to a rise in momentum from the opposition.

Colony's blocking seemed to lose its precision in the second game, and Chugiak managed to sneak a gaggle of kills past.

Again, Chugiak began committing unforced errors, and a game point serve into the net by Chugiak, with the score at 24-16, gave another chance for Colony to regain the lead.

It wasn't to be had, however, and Colony lost the second game 25-19.

Game three showed a bit of fatigue in both teams, but Chugiak went on the offensive early. Down in points, Colony caught a break when a roll over the net found a hole through the blockers and caught Chugiak's defense sleeping.

That tied it up 11-11, and gave Colony a boost in enthusiasm, with Grazulis making a kill in the middle and starting a chain of unforced errors for Chugiak.

The rest of game three saw long, nail-biting volleys, and too-close-to-call digs that kept both teams on their toes.

Chugiak, however, caught a late third win, and took Colony 25-16.

Up two games to one, Chugiak scored the first point of the fourth game.

Not showing any signs of giving up, Colony answered with back-to-back blocks by Grazulis and diving digs by Hodgson.

With match point approaching for Chugiak, a couple errors by the Mustangs kept the chance of winning the fourth game open for Colony.

But a hard kill by Chugiak set the stage for a 25-20 win over Colony.

Colony’s head coach said Chugiak is a good team that obviously wanted a win Thursday.

Still, it wasn't an easy win for Chugiak, and the Colony Knights made their opponents work hard for the win.

It really came down to two advantages for Chugiak, Carter said.

“They block well and hit well.”

Chugiak moves forward to play three-time defending state champion South Anchorage tonight in the semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Meanwhile, a Colony squad that was looking for its second trip to the state final in as many years, is pushed backward and will play Mid-Alaska Conference champion Lathrop tomorrow at 10:45 a.m.

With a win against Lathrop, Colony can earn a spot in the tourney’s fourth-place match.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.