Wasilla volleyball team rallies to reach state

WASILLA — Facing elimination to their biggest rival, the Wasilla Warriors volleyball team mounted a dramatic comeback on Friday that helped propel the team into the state tournament.

The Warriors trailed rival Palmer 0-2 in their loser-out match Friday afternoon at the Northern Lights Conference tournament before winning three straight sets to stay alive and set up a battle for state with host Kenai Central on Friday night. The Warriors won that match as well, punching their ticket to the big dance with a 3-1 win over the Kardinals. The loss ended Palmer’s season, a fate the Moose shared with Colony when the Knights fell 3-1 to the Kardinals earlier Friday.

Palmer’s tournament wasn’t all disappointment, as the Moose earned the conference’s top individual honor when Carly Venzke was named the league’s MVP. Other Mat-Su players to make the NLC First Team included Wasilla’s Leya DePriest, Brooke Quenpel and Courtney Anthony.

Wasilla’s run of strong play continued on Saturday, when the Warriors downed Soldotna 3-1 to reach the championship match. However, the Warriors’ hot streak finally came to an end in the final against the undefeated Bears, who posted a 3-1 win by winning the final three sets.

Friday was a make-or-break day for all three Mat-Su teams, which found themselves in the bottom half of the bracket after a disastrous Thursday showing. Valley teams were dominated early by their southern rivals, taking just one set in three opening-day matches — and that by the lowest seed among them as Colony eked out a set in its 3-1 loss (25-14, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19) to third-seeded Soldotna. Fourth-seeded Palmer was swept in its opening-round clash with the host Kardinals, as was Wasilla, which was stunned by the upstart Stars. Wasilla swept Soldotna during the regular season en route to a 7-3 conference record, but the second-seeded Warriors couldn’t keep up on Thursday, falling 25-15, 25-21, 25-21. A win in that match would have advanced Wasilla to state. Instead, had to get there the hard way by winning what amounted to a four-team tournament with Palmer, Colony and Kenai for the conference’s final state berth.

Soldotna and top-seeded Kodiak secured their state berths by going undefeated Thursday. Kodiak defeated Soldotna to advance to Saturday’s championship match.

The state tournament will be held Nov. 12-14 at the Alaska Airlines Center on the UAA campus in Anchorage.

Northern Lights All-Conference

Coach of the Year — Amy Willis, Kodiak.

MVP — Carly Venzke, Palmer.

First team — Lindsey Wong, Soldotna; Leya DePriest, Wasilla; Brooke Quenpel, Wasilla; Tracy Gatter, Kodiak; Courtney Anthony, Wasilla; Makenna Rosin, Soldotna; Abby Beck, Kenai; Richelle Walker, Kodiak; Kalimeli Matautia, Kodiak.

Second team — Sylvia Tuisaula, Soldotna; Tiana Lee, Palmer; Mikayla Lirette, Kodiak; Alli Steinbeck, Kenai; Holly Corbin, Palmer; Mikara Klawitter, Colony; Sammy Buresh, Palmer; Judah Aley, Soldotna; Olivia Vincent, Wasilla.

Sportsmanship team — Lily Birch, Colony; Jacey Ross, Kenai Central; Karrina Maramba, Kodiak; Sarah LeCheminant, Palmer; Kearstin Yarnes, Soldotna; Brooke Quenpel, Wasilla.

NLC VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

Thursday-Saturday

Cliff Massie Court

Kenai Central High School

Thursday’s scores:

Soldotna 3, Colony 1 (25-14, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19)

Soldotna 3, Wasilla 0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-21)

Kenai 3, Palmer 0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-22)

Friday’s scores:

Wasilla 3, Palmer 2 (14-25, 13-25, 25-19, 25-14, 15-13)

Kenai 3, Colony 1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-22, 26-24)

Wasilla 3, Kenai 1 (25-18, 16-25, 25-17, 25-17)

Saturdays scores:

Semifinal: Wasilla 3, Soldotna 1

Final: Kodiak 3, Wasilla 1 (22-25, 25-9, 25-16, 25-23)