For the second time this season, an Aberdeen-Hoquiam volleyball match was decided in five sets as we review Wednesday’s prep sports on the Harbor.
PREP VOLLEYBALL
Hoquiam 3, Aberdeen 2
A little more than three weeks ago, Aberdeen handed Hoquiam a Myrtle Street Rivalry loss in five sets on the Bobcats’ home floor.
On Tuesday evening, the Grizzlies returned the favor.
Hoquiam rallied to win the last two games and got a Herculean effort from senior Kristina Goulet en route to a 3-2 victory at Hoquiam Square Garden.
“That was a phenomenal feeling,” Goulet said of the 23-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-18 and 15-7 victory. “Makes your heart really happy.”
Hoquiam (7-3 overall) would jump out to an early 11-5 lead in Game 1 on an ace by senior standout Faith Prosch but soon saw the lead evaporate as Aberdeen (7-3) rallied to tie the game at 16-all on a kill by senior Claire Mottinger.
The two teams would not be separated by more than three points the rest of the set, with Aberdeen scoring four of the game’s final six points for a 25-23 win.
The Bobcats’ momentum continued in Game 2, scoring the first four points before the Grizzlies rallied to tie the game at 4-4 and took a 6-4 lead as Goulet got hot with four straight points, three on kills off of setter Katlyn Brodhead assists.
Brodhead
The cross-town rivals would tie nine more times in the second set before two Aberdeen shots would sail out of bounds to put Hoquiam up 23-21.
Two plays later, Grizzlies junior middle blocker Hayden Brook-Andrew blocked a shot by Aberdeen senior outside hitter Annika Hollingsworth for a 25-21 victory, tying the match at one game apiece.
The third set also remained close throughout, with the neither team leading by more than four points until two straight Hoquiam errors put the Cats up 17-12.
Aberdeen led 20-14 after a net touch by the Grizzlies and fell behind 22-16 after a Mottinger drop shot hit the floor.
A Hoquiam shot out of bounds followed by a serve-receive error gave Aberdeen the 25-19 win and a 2-1 match lead, one win away from sweeping the Grizzlies in 2023.
But Hoquiam would have something to say about that.
Once again in the fourth game, the two teams jostled back and forth until Hoquiam took its biggest lead of the match at 18-10, forcing an Aberdeen timeout.
Aberdeen would get no closer than five points the rest of the set as the Grizzlies earned a 25-18 win on a cross-court kill from Goulet, sending the match to a fifth and final set for the second straight meeting between the two teams.
Tied at 6-6 in Game 5, Hoquiam made its move, taking a lead on an ace by senior outside hitter Leighann Bratt followed by a kill and a block from Prosch, forcing a Bobcats timeout.
Hoquiam continued to apply pressure when play resumed and took an 11-6 lead after another Bratt ace followed by a Goulet kill.
The Grizzlies would close out the set when a wayward return over the net was stuffed back by junior middle blocker Hayden Brook-Andrew. Aberdeen got two touches on the ball, but couldn’t stop it from falling to the floor in securing the 15-7 win and 3-2 match victory for Hoquiam.
“I told them to have fun. I just told them to relax and have fun,” Hoquiam head coach Heather Bozich said of her insightful strategy to turn the tide in Game 4. “They want to win so bad they get really tense. The pressure gets to them and when that happens they tighten up and they don’t move their feet. So I told them to relax and have fun. They get to play volleyball against their rivals, the atmosphere is amazing, let’s enjoy it. … They were able to really move past their mistakes which was huge for us tonight.”
“I think they started picking up on us,” Aberdeen head coach Desiree Glanz said of Hoquiam’s turnaround in the final two games. “I think they realized we had some weaknesses on our side and where to place the ball, and they sped up the game quite a bit more. We struggled a bit with coverage and they started blocking us quite a bit.”
Goulet had an outstanding match, finishing just one dig shy of a triple-double and leading Hoquiam with 17 kills and 10 blocks.
“I knew if we could put the ball in her hands, it would open up the court for us to be able to move the ball around more,” Hoquiam head coach Heather Bozich said of Prosch’s performance. “We kept going outside, and they were digging everything outside because Aberdeen is scrappy. They never quit on a ball. I knew this match was never safe in our hands because they always fight back. So I thought if we could start getting the ball in Kristina’s hands more, it would open up the floor and we could run more things.”
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Hoquiam middle blocker Kristina Goulet (2) rises for a shot against Aberdeen’s Lilly Camp (12) during the Grizzlies’ 3-2 victory on Wednesday at Hoquiam Square Garden.
“I think the revenge was a big part in all of our hearts. We have dignity and pride for Hoquiam High School,” said Goulet of her motivation leading into the game. “On a scale of 1-10, I’d give it a 10. I wanted to win so bad.”
Brodhead dished out 38 assists with Bratt (11 kills) and Prosch (11 kills) joining Goulet with double-digit kills in the contest.
The Grizzlies went 75-of-80 (94%) from the service stripe, led by Brodhead (21-21, ace) and Goulet (12-12, 2 aces).
Typical of Hoquiam teams under Bozich, the Grizzlies got to nearly every loose ball with 58 digs as a team, led by sophomore libero Lexi LaBounty with 23.
Aberdeen had a quartet of double-digit hitters in senior outside hitter Kailey Pendergrass (15 kills), junior middle hitter Lilly Camp (10 kills), Mottinger (10 kills) and Hollingsworth (11 kills).
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen junior middle blocker Lilly Camp (12) records a kill during a 3-2 loss to Hoquiam on Wednesday at Hoquiam Square Garden.
Aberdeen setter Cameryn Micheau had a game-high 43 assists and went 26-for-26 from the service line with four aces for the Bobcats.
Neither head coach was disapointed in how their respective teams performed on Wednesday.
“I am very proud of them all,” Glanz said. “I told them, ‘Don’t be ashamed about how you performed.’ I threw some people in there that stepped up tonight. It’s fun to play (Hoquiam).”
Aberdeen hosts W.F. West at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Hoquiam had a quick turnaround with a league game against Tenino at 7 p.m. on Thursday in Hoquiam.
Aberdeen 25 21 25 18 7 – 2
Hoquiam 23 25 18 25 15 – 3
Leading players: Aberdeen – Knutson (13-14 service, 3 aces, 15 digs); Micheau (26-26, 4 aces, 8 digs, 43 assists); E. Yakovich (13-14 service, 2 aces, 9 digs); Camp (15-18 services, 3 aces, 10 kills, 3 blocks); Pendergrass (15 kills); Mottinger (10 kills, 2 blocks); Hollingsworth (11 kills, 2 blocks). Hoquiam – Goulet (17 kills, 12-12 service, 2 aces, 9 digs, 10 blocks); Brodhead (38 assists, 21-21 service, ace, kill, 17 digs); Prosch (11 kills, 6 digs, 6 aces); LaBounty (23 digs); Bratt (11 kills, 9 digs, 12-15 service, 3 aces). Templer (11-12 service, 10 digs); Brook-Andrew (6 kills, 9 blocks); Billie (2 kills, 4 digs).
GIRLS PREP SOCCER
Napavine 2, Ocosta 0
Ocosta’s four-game shutout streak was snapped in a 2-0 loss to 7th-ranked Napavine on Wednesday in Westport.
The Wildcats (7-4, 3-2 2B Central-Pacific) held the Tigers (5-2-3, 3-0-1) scoreless in the first half on six shots but fell behind early in the second half.
The Tigers scored two minutes into the second half and added an insurance goal 15 minutes later to take a 2-0 lead.
Ocosta goal keeper Mia Saunders had nine saves in the game.
“We played a great game, but they wore us down in the second half. We have two starters out with injuries and one that wasn’t feeling well but played anyway,” Ocosta head coach Mike King said. “We’re playing with several girls that don’t have much experience and they’ve been thrown into the fire and are doing their best. We’ll get through this stretch and get stronger before the post season.”
King commended the play of Scarlett Nelson, Kylee Denny, Bristol Towle and Penny Park for their all-around play.
The Wildcats take on No. 4 Kalama at 6 p.m. Monday at Kalama High School.
Napavine 0 2 – 2
Ocosta 0 0 – 0
Other scores
Onalaska 4, Raymond-South Bend 2
Goulet
