Knights win region volleyball title

HOMER -- For the second straight season the Colony Knights found themselves taking on cross-town rival Palmer in the championship match of the Northern Lights tournament.

Colony suffered a five-game loss to the Moose on the Knights' home court in the 2003 final, but got the best of Palmer this time around. The Knights swept the Moose 3-0 ( 25-21, 25-15 and 25-17).

The Knights earned the Northern Lights top seed in the upcoming 4A championship tournament. The Knights face either Service or East, runners-up in the Region IV tourney, Thursday at 7:15 p.m. at West High School.

Results of the Region IV tournament were not available before press time.

Colony advances to the state tournament after securing a perfect record in Northern Lights play. The Knights finished the regular season 10-0 in Northern Lights competition and rolled through three matches in the championship tourney. The Knights opened tourney play with a 3-0 ( 25-10, 25-13, 25-21) win over Homer and defeated Kenai ( 27-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-23). The Kardinals are still the only Northern Lights team to have taken a game from the Knights. Colony swept 11 of its Northern Lights matches 3-0, but Kenai forced a fourth game in both of its losses to the Knights.

Though Palmer struggled during the Northern Lights regular season, the Moose saved their best volleyball for the end of the year and earned a spot in the conference title match.

"All along the team had the potential, they just hadn't realized it yet," Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said.

The fourth-seeded Moose scored a 3-1 ( 22-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-16) upset victory of the first-seed Skyview Panthers.

"The first match against Skyview and the semis with SOHI, we played exactly how you want your team to play," Reynolds said.

Palmer defeated Soldotna 3-2 (21-25, 25-21, 25-11, 24-26, 15-10) in the semifinals.

The Moose also earned a one-way ticket to the state tourney, Reynolds' fifth in five years as the Moose mentor. Palmer faces the Region IV champion at 3:45 p.m. Thursday at West High.

Wasilla finished 1-2 in the tournament and missed out on a chance to go to the state tourney. The Warriors fell to Soldotna in the first round, defeated Skyview in the second round and fell to Kenai in the third round.

Colony senior Rochelle Ray and Knight head coach Faith Scott each earned major awards following the tourney. Ray was named the North Division's player of the year and Scott was named conference coach of the year.

Ray, Amanda Aafedt (Colony), Carlie Douglas (Wasilla), Allie Johnson (Wasilla) and Karaline Naegele (Palmer) were each named first-team All-Northern Lights Conference.

Katy McNamara (Colony), Jordan Pokryfi (Colony), Kelcy Joynt (Colony, Tarrah Naczi (Wasilla) and Kaylee Johnson (Wasilla) were named to the second team.

Hallie Huggins (Colony), Meagan Meekin (Palmer) and Haley Sonnentag (Wasilla) were named to the good sports team.