NLC volleyball: Warriors stay alive, Knights to play for region title

WASILLA — It may not be the way Wasilla would have scripted it, but the Warriors are state tourney bound.

After Wasilla, the top seed and host of the Northern Lights Conference Championships, was upset by fourth-seeded Colony Thursday night, the Warriors rebounded to win consecutive matches Friday. With its 3-0 (25-12, 25-12, 25-23) win over the Kenai Kardinals Friday night, Wasilla clinched the NLC’s third and final berth to next week’s ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Volleyball Championships.

“We’re going to state. That’s all that matters,” Wasilla head coach Josie Cannon said after the victory.

Wasilla needed a 3-2 win over sixth-seeded Kodiak Friday morning to keep its season alive.

“Kodiak is scrappy. They’re very strong defensively. They’re tough,” Cannon said. “Nobody wants to go home.”

After the tough loss to Colony, in which nerves certainly played a factor, Cannon said, Wasilla was able to find what it was missing during the opening day of the tournament.

“We found our rhythm,” Cannon said. “We really had to work to find our rhythm. But we found it and we saw it here tonight.”

The Warriors used Andraia Bella’s 11 kills and 10 digs to get past the Kards. Victoria Malek chipped in nine kills, and Lindsey Cizek added eight kills to her 18 assists.

Wasilla cruised in the first two games, winning each 25-12, but had to withstand a late charge by the Abby Beck-led Kardinals to get the sweep. Beck hammered a trio of kills late, as the teams played point for point after Kenai tied the score at 19. Wasilla was able to come away with the 25-23 win in Game 3.

Kenai used a big win over its biggest rival to keep its season alive earlier Friday. The Kards outlasted Soldotna, besting the Stars 3-2 (25-22, 18-25, 19-25, 25-22, 17-15).

Wasilla now moves forward to play Palmer Saturday at 10 a.m. in the second semifinal on the NLC’s double-elimination bracket. The Wasilla-Palmer winner advances to the NLC title game to face Colony Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Knights continued their tear through the tourney beating Palmer 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-23) early Friday evening. It marked the third straight sweep in the tournament for the Knights, who entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed.

Eve Stephens led Colony with a dozen kills and four blocks in the victory. Lily Birch and Mikara Klawitter had five kills each. Shiann Bontrager and Haylee Duguid each had a team-best nine digs.

Bulldogs and Grizzlies to play for Southcentral title

It will be a Grace Christian-Nikiski title bout in the Southcentral Conference Championships. The top-seeded Grizzlies will meet the second-seeded Bulldogs Saturday at 4 p.m. at Houston High School.

After a first-round bye, Grace moved into the title match with a win over fourth-seeded Homer Friday afternoon. Nikiski swept seventh-seeded Redington in the first round and beat Seward in the semifinals.

In other first-round action, Homer swept host fifth-seeded Houston 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-23). Third-seeded Seward beat sixth-seeded Anchorage Christian 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-12).

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.