Skyview holds on to edge Palmer in five-game match

SOLDOTNA — Move in the furniture. Measure and hang the drapes. The Skyview volleyball rebuilding project is over.

The host Panthers defeated Palmer on Friday 24-26, 25-20, 25-20, 22-25 and 15-12 in Northern Lights Conference action.

The Panthers improved to 4-2 in the league and 9-2 in nontournament play, while the Moose dropped to 5-4 in the league.

At the beginning of the season, Skyview coach Sheila Kupferschmid said the Panthers had to rebuild last year’s state team after returning just two players with a lot of varsity experience.

When Jaci Lamborn was able to return from a knee injury, that gave the Panthers three experienced players, along with Jaxon Hill and Casee Penrod.

Lamborn had nine kills, seven service points and eight digs against the Moose, while Hill had 12 kills, 10 blocks, six service points and five digs, and Penrod had 14 service points, 17 kills, three kills and two blocks.

Skyview’s inexperienced players are now contributing. Alicia West had a career-high 23 kills to go with nine digs, five service points and three blocks. Amanda McDowell had eight blocks and four kills, Rebecca Egan had 14 service points, six digs and five kills, and libero Monica Hutchison had 11 digs.

“We came out slow,” Kupferschmid said. “The kids have to start believing they are a good team. They think they’re rebuilding, but we’re competing. The rebuilding stuff is over.”\

Skyview trailed early in every game except for the all-important fifth game.

“The fifth game is so quick,” Palmer coach Steve Reynolds said. “It’s like a coin-toss game. There isn’t enough time to make many errors.”

Hill served out two points to give the Panthers an 8-5 lead in the fifth.

“We came out focused and we did not fall behind,” West said. “We stayed with it the whole time.”

Palmer cut the lead to 11-10 on a Skyview hitting error, but after a timeout Lamborn had a kill and then served out a point for a 13-10 lead.

The Moose did not wilt, as Kalene Smith had a kill and Kendal Venzke followed with a stuff block for a 13-12 game.

“I’m not complaining about the play on our end,” Reynolds said. “I’m never going to complain at the end of a good, hard-fought match that goes five games.”

A missed serve by Brittany Arlow gave the Panthers match point, and Skyview capitalized with a Hill kill.

Skyview’s explosive offense was enough to make up for defensive inconsistency.

“If we can control the ball and get better defensively, we’re going to be a pretty good team,” Kupferschmid said. “We have it offensively.”

West’s breakout performance gives opposing teams something else to think about.

“I really was focused, and wanted to play to the best of my ability,” West said. “My goal was to get my most kills ever, and I was able to do that.”

Skyview’s defensive problems show up on serve-receive, when the Panthers have trouble setting up a solid attack off the opponents’ serve and give up runs of service points.

In the first game, Palmer’s Jenna Arlow served out four straight points for a 19-13 lead. The Panthers stormed back with four service points by Lamborn to cut Palmer’s lead to 25-24, but Palmer got a side-out and finished the game when Skyview could not return a Brittany Arlow serve.

In the second game, Skyview fell behind 17-10, struggling with passing and missing five serves. When Palmer got less precise with passing, the Panthers pounced, taking 15 of the game’s next 18 points to win the game.

“Skyview did a nice job controlling the ball,” Reynolds said. “We didn’t, and sometimes sent the ball back nice and fluffy. We paid.”

In the third game, Skyview fell behind 10-6. After catching the Moose, four straight service points from Penrod pushed Skyview’s lead to 21-16, and Palmer never recovered.

In the fourth game, the Moose grabbed a 14-7 lead, thanks mainly to a string of seven service points by Megan Morfe, and never let Skyview come back to take the lead.

A kill by Mallory Manier gave Palmer a game point at 24-21. After a Hill kill made it 24-22, a long, dramatic point gave Palmer the game after a hitting error by Lamborn.

Manier paced Palmer with eight kills, while Jenna Arlow had 19 assists, Nicole Cherrier had three blocks and Morfe had four aces. Reynolds said captains Cherrier and Brittany Arlow did a nice job of leading the team.

“I’m proud,” Kupferschmid said. “I told the kids this is a real confidence builder — to go five with a good team and come out with a win.”

Moose power past Mariners

HOMER — Palmer scor-ed a 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-21) win over the Homer Mariners at Homer High School on Saturday.

Knights sweep

Panthers

SOLDOTNA — The Col-ony Knights swept the Skyview Panthers 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-20) at Skyview High School on Saturday.

“To me, Colony played the best we’ve seen a team play all year,” Kupferschmid said. “They were fast and hit the ball very hard.”

Colony sinks Mariners

HOMER — Colony post-ed a 3-0 (25-22, 25-26, 25-17) win over Homer at Homer High School on Friday.

Jeff Helminiak is the Peninsula Clarion sports editor. Contact him at jeff.helminiak@peninsulaclarion.com.