Retiring teacher, coach urges Colony grads to ‘find their 68’
By Jeremiah Bartz Frontiersman.com A football coach using a hockey reference as the centerpiece for his keynote address may
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PALMER — The Colony Knights were within reach of completing a fantastic rally Thursday evening. But even though the Knights fell short, head coach Amy Carter learned a lot about her team.
Colony erased an early two-set deficit and forced a fifth game, but West Valley was able to hold on for a 3-2 (25-22, 25-21, 20-25, 19-25, 15-13) win over the Knights at Colony High.
“I think that my team knows they can do that is really positive,” Carter said of her squad’s ability to rally.
After a close first game, in which neither team held much more than a three-point lead, West Valley was able to use a late 5-1 run to take the two-game lead.
“They’re a good team,” Carter said of West Valley, which finished fifth in the state tournament last year.
Colony’s rally started midway through the third when the Knights used a five-point run to turn a tied game into a 15-10 Colony lead. Junior Allison Leigh used one of her team-high 21 kills to cap the run.
Colony used an even bigger run in the fourth game to break another tie. After West Valley knotted the game at 8, Colony used a big 12-2 run to take the 20-12 lead.
Colony jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the decisive fifth game, using kills by Leigh and Brooke Deans, and a Mariah Weydahl service ace. The Knights pushed their lead to 7-4, but West Valley used a 5-2 run to tie the game at 9.
Meaghan Olsen snuck a ball through the Colony front row to cut the Knights’ lead to 9-8, and Hannah Mattson capped a long volley with a kill to tie the score at 9.
Mattson and Julia Mackey each posted key kills as West Valley held on for the slim win.
Mary Klapperich added 13 kills and 12 digs to Leigh’s match-high 21 kills. Maryann Zmuda finished with a match-high 35 assists and 14 digs.
Mackey led West Valley with 17 kills. Mattson added 13 kills and 18 assists. Olsen chipped in eight kills and 22 assists.
Both teams are at Chugiak High today for the first day of the Chugiak Invitational. Colony opens against defending state champion Dimond.
Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports.
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