Palmer spikers down Warriors in four games

PALMER - Tara Hillis sparked the Palmer volleyball team with 43 assists to lead the Lady Moose over the Wasilla Warriors in four games Friday night.

The Warriors came into Friday's game against Palmer with glowing confidence after a respectable fourth-place finish in last weekend's 18-team Spiketacular at West High.

With just one starting senior, Wasilla set its sights on Friday's rematch after dropping the season opener to Palmer.

Although Warrior coach Cindy Plano made no predictions, she said her Lady Warriors were a vastly improved team since their first game.

Junior captain Alayna Morgan said her team's focus was on defending the powerful Palmer front three, Lisa Thomas, Tami Callison and sophomore Emily Sakis. Wasilla's Amanda Gehring and Morgan had 23 digs together, but they weren't enough to overcome Palmer's blazing serves and deadly kills.

Lisa Thomas, Callison and Sakis combined for 46 kills for the Moose, sending the Warriors sprawling throughout the game.

After Palmer opened with a game one, 15-5, win, the Warriors settled in to stay close to the Moose until Thomas put the Moose up 11-6 on one of her 23 kills. When Wasilla creeped closer to the Moose, Palmer's big hitters took over, putting the Warriors in a two-game hole 15-10.

Wasilla's offense zeroed in on Palmer's defense in the third game and found itself with an early 7-3 lead.

"I know we have the skills to beat them," Morgan said. "But serving was one of our downfalls. Palmer is obviously strong up the middle. We just need to be consistent on offense."

The Warriors climbed to a 9-4 lead midway through the third game on a backhand return by Morgan, which dropped at the feet of three Palmer defenders.

Palmer regrouped, closing the gap to within two points, but Morgan ended the Moose's momentum when she backhanded three consecutive kill attempts, then put one away to help the Warriors go up 13-10.

The loss to Chugiak put Palmer into a different mindset.

Palmer coach Steve Reynolds said up until this week's loss to Chugiak, he was taking this year's successful season in stride, "loving every bit of it.

"They're a good team," Reynolds said. "We pound the ball and they pick it up. I was probably more nervous tonight, than in any game this season."

Palmer took the momentum away from Wasilla, thanks to effective serving by Hillis and precise kills by Thomas, and defeated the Warriors in the fourth frame 15-6 to take the match.

Plano said she is encouraged by the persistence her relatively young Wasilla team has shown.

"I can't say enough about the mental toughness they had," she said. "I'm proud of them."

Morgan had 11 kills, 15 assists, and 12 digs in the game for the Warriors, and Katie Fisher added 6 kills and 11 digs.

Palmer's Sakis had 13 kills and three aces and Callison added 10 kills.