Moose hope late-season run helps prepare for postseason

PALMER — With four region matches in less than a week, the Palmer Moose have been one of the busiest teams of the Northern Lights Conference.

But the Moose see the recent stretch as a way to prepare for a potential postseason run.

“I feel like we’re in a good place right now going into the end of the season,” Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said after his team’s 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-14) win over rival Wasilla at Palmer High School Thursday night.

Palmer — which also beat Colony and Kodiak twice during the last six days — scored the quick three-set sweep to finish its NLC regular-season schedule 9-1 in conference play.

“I think we’re coming together nicely,” Reynolds said. “Everyone is contributing.”

Elliot Perkins led the Moose with a dozen kills in the win. Mariah McNamara chipped in 11, while Macey Buresh collected a match-high 34 assists. Lily Cullers had eight digs.

Palmer currently is ranked first in the new six-team NLC. Soldotna is 8-1 and closes its NLC slate Oct. 27 against winless Kenai. Assuming the Stars beat Kenai for the second time this season, Palmer and SoHi would be tied at 9-1 in the standings. With the teams 1-1 in head-to-head play, Reynolds said the No. 1 seed in the upcoming NLC Championships may have to be decided by a coin flip.

Regardless of whether Palmer is ranked first or second in the conference, the Moose will earn a first-round bye in the NLC’s new six-team double-elimination bracket. The conference was forced to tweak its championship tournament after Homer and Skyview dropped to the 3A Southcentral Conference following the 2011 season.

With the first-round bye already in their pockets, the Moose will use their final 10 days of the regular season to get ready for the NLC tourney, which starts Nov. 1 in Kodiak.

Palmer is among the field at the Dimond/Service Invitational this weekend.

“We’ll have lots of playing time there, get some people joining us at the end of the season playing with us, get them comfortable,” Reynolds said.

Next week, the Moose travel north to face Lathrop, West Valley and North Pole during a three-match swing through the Interior.

Wasilla finished 2-8 in NLC regular-season play, but head coach Claudia Farias-Pinard praised the continued development of her young team.

Wasilla entered the season with only one player with varsity experience. The Warriors promoted virtually all of their players from the junior varsity or C-teams. As players continue to try to settle into their own positions on the court, Farias-Pinard said she’s been waiting for the Warriors to mesh more as a team on the floor.

Tuesday, that is what stood out, she said.

“Today, they played as a team,” Farias-Pinard said. “They worked hard from the beginning, from the first point, and didn’t give up. They tried their best. I’m really proud to see how they played today.”

Emily Pepper led Wasilla with 19 digs in the loss. Machia Toews added 16 digs. Alexis Abbott finished with a team-best six kills.

Wasilla, which will enter the NLC tourney as the No. 5 seed, has a nonconference match with Grace Christian next week.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and find him by searching Valley Sports Huddle on Facebook.