Valley teams hit the floor for conference volleyball tournaments

The Colony Knights are the first Valley team to punch their ticket to the ASAA state volleyball tournaments.

Colony swept rival Wasilla 3-0 during the first day of the Northern Lights Conference Championships Thursday afternoon at Soldotna High School. The Knights entered the tourney as the No. 2 seed. Wasilla was seeded third. Both squads finished 5-3 in region play during the regular season.

The Knights move forward to face top-seeded Soldotna Friday at 7 p.m. in the conference semifinals. The Stars needed five sets to survive against upset-minded Palmer. Soldotna edged the Moose 3-2, with a 15-11 game in the fifth set.

Palmer, the No. 4 seed, opened the day with a 3-0 win over fifth-seeded Kodiak.

Friday’s action starts with Wasilla against Kodiak at 3 p.m. The winner of that match plays Palmer at 5 p.m.

Soldotna also secured one of the NLC’s berth to the ASAA 4A state tournament. The winner of the 5 p.m. match on Friday will grab the conference’s final spot on the state bracket.

The conference championship match is slated for Saturday at 1 p.m.

Houston is hosting the 3A Southcentral Conference Championships. Kenai swept the host Hawks 3-0 on the first day. Nikiski beat Redington 3-0.

Both Valley teams will play in elimination matches Friday. Houston faces Grace Christian at 10 a.m. and Redington plays Mountain City Christian at 11:45 a.m.

Contact the Frontiersman at sports@frontiersman.com.