Palmer volleyball scores sweep of Wasilla

WASILLA — The Valley’s three Northern Lights Conference volleyball teams seem to have something in common right now. Each team is looking for the same thing.

Consistency.

“We’ve been working on more consistent play,” Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said after his team’s 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 26-24) win over the Wasilla Warriors at Wasilla High School on Tuesday.

The Moose needed a rally in both the second and third set to score the sweep and improve to 3-1 in NLC play.

“Just consistency and ball control,” Reynolds said of his team’s key to success late in the second and third games. “That’s what we’ve been working on lately. I’m going to attribute it to that.”

Wasilla held a 20-16 in Game 2. A short Palmer run pulled the Moose within a point. A Moose ace broke a 20-20 tie, and consecutive Wasilla errors pushed Palmer ahead 24-22.

In the third game, Wasilla led 21-17. But once again, the Moose rallied. A handful of Warrior hitting errors, pulled within a point. Palmer captains Mariah McNamara and Leiah Reichel helped Palmer cement the sweep. McNamara knocked a ball into open space within the Wasilla defense to give Palmer the 24-22 lead. After Wasilla tied the game at 24, McNamara sent a laser down the left sideline to give the lead back to Palmer. Reichel finished the Warriors off with the final kill of the night.

McNamara led the Moose with 13 kills. Allie McPheters had 18 assists.

Following the loss, Wasilla head coach Josie Cannon talked consistency.

“It’s very much a consistency thing. We play one match excellent, exactly the way we want to look like. The next match we struggle with the basics,” Cannon said.

Cannon said this common theme is not only shared among the Valley teams.

“All the teams in our conference are kind of like that,” Cannon said. “There’s no clear leader as of yet. It should be a very interesting region tournament.”

Amber Sizemore led the Warriors with eight kills and two aces. Peyton Mobley had 26 assists and three aces.