Aberdeen missed a chance to claim second place in the 2A Evergreen Conference while Hoquiam escaped Elma with a five-set victory as we review a full slate of Twin Harbors prep volleyball games on Thursday.
PREP VOLLEYBALL
Black Hills 3, Aberdeen 0
Aberdeen missed a golden opportunity to leap into second place in the 2A Evergreen Conference with a 3-0 loss to Black Hills on Thursday in Aberdeen.
The Bobcats (8-4 overall, 5-3 2A Evergreen) struggled to close out sets in the 25-14, 25-17 and 25-16 loss.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen senior outside hitter Savannah Strickland (6) records a kill during a straight-set loss to Black Hills on Thursday in Aberdeen.
“Something our program has been struggling with since I’ve been here is finishing a game,” Aberdeen head coach Desiree Glanz said. “It’s something we’ve been working on, to finish the game and want it. I don’t think (Black Hills) did anything we couldn’t keep up with tonight. They just set the pace and were more energized than us. We were very quiet on the court and that hurt us.”
Compounding matters, Aberdeen was without the services juniors Zoe Vessey and Lilly Camp – both of whom play significant minutes for the Bobcats – as the two were in California competing at a softball tournament.
“I think we played against an excellent defense and our hitting was a little bit off,” Glanz said, adding that a bigger issue for the Bobcats on Thursday was errors at inoportune times. “We fought really hard, then would turn around and give them a point right back.”
Aberdeen trailed 16-15 in Game 2 before being outscored 9-2 as the Wolves took the set.
In Game 3, Aberdeen erased a 7-1 deficit to tie the set at 12-all on a drop shot from senior outside hitter Savannah Strickland, but managed just four more points in the set as Black Hills went on a 13-4 run to close out the match.
With the loss, Aberdeen missed a chance to leapfrog the Wolves and vault itself into sole possession of second place in the league standings.
The Cats currently sit in third place, a half game up on Centralia in the loss column.
Strickland led the Cats offense with 12 kills – including four straight in the third set – to go along with five digs, a block and a perfect 7-for-7 night at the service line.
Senior setter Cameryn Micheau led Aberdeen with 16 assists while freshman libero Sophie Knutson had a team-high 13 digs.
Aberdeen will play at the Ocosta Volleyball Tournament on Saturday in Westport followed by a conference game at Rochester at 7 p.m. on Monday.
Black Hills 25 25 25 – 3
Aberdeen 14 17 16 – 0
Leading players: Aberdeen – Micheau (16 assists, 7 digs, 11-11 service, ace); Strickland (12 kills, block, 5 digs, 7-7 service, ace); Hollingsworth (4 kills, block); Mottinger (3 kills, 8 digs, 7-7 service); Parra (5 digs); A. Yakovich (9 digs, 4-5 service, kill); Knutson (13 digs, 7-9 service); Ritchie (5-7 service, ace, 2 kills).
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Hoquiam’s Hayden Brook-Andrew (5) attempts to block a shot from Elma’s Meara Baxter (4) during the Grizzlies’ 3-2 victory on Thursday at Elma High School.
Hoquiam 3, Elma 2
Elma gave Hoquiam all it could handle in the Grizzlies’ five-set victory on Thursday at Elma High School.
Hoquiam (9-4, 4-1 1A Evergreen) had to come from behind to beat Elma (2-10, 1-4), as the Grizzlies trailed 2-1 after three games.
Elma won the first set 25-14 with Hoquiam winning by the identical score in the second game.
Playing with fervor and energy, Elma took a 2-1 lead with a 25-15 win in Game 3, putting the defending league champions in the position of losing their second league game in a week.
But the Grizzlies experience and grit showed in rallying to win Game 4 25-17 and the fifth set 15-10.
“We are the most up and down team ever,” Hoquiam head coach Heather Bozich said. “We started off so slow tonight with a lot of communication errors and really struggled getting our offense going.”
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Elma’s Aubrey Moore (5) and Hoquiam’s Katlyn Brodhead (3) compete for a ball at the net during the Grizzlies’ 3-2 victory on Thursday at Elma High School.
Bozich explained her team had a tough time finding any consistency on offense, but its defense stepped up to make the difference.
“Our net defense was what really kept us in the match,” she said. “Hayden Brook-Andrew had an incredible night. She played so smart and tough at the net. … I’m really glad to get through this one tonight. Elma is always tough to beat on their home court and I’m extremely proud of our team for not giving up and fighting for this win.”
Brook-Andrew led Hoquiam with 12 kills and six blocks while setter Lexi LaBounty and setter Katlyn Brodhead led the Grizzlies with 22 digs and 25 assists, respectively.
Elma’s inspiring effort was led by junior outside hitter Haydenne Bogar, who had a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs.
Junior defensive specialist Allyson Warren added 21 digs while do-everything senior Aubrey Moore had nine kills and seven aces for the Eagles.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Elma’s outside hitter Haydenne Bogar (6) rises for a kill during a 3-2 loss to Hoquiam on Thursday in Elma.
“I’m proud of how well we played tonight. We had a lot of fight and fought throughout the whole match,” said Elma head coach Kendra Dunn, who commended Warren, Meara Baxter and Callie Galligan for their performances in the loss. “I loved to see the effort from our team. Unfortunately, the match didn’t go our way tonight but both teams played great.”
With the win, Hoquiam remains a game behind Montesano for the top spot in the 1A Evergreen League.
Elma sits in fourth place, one game behind the Tenino Beavers.
Hoquiam plays at the Adna Invitational Tournament on Saturday.
Elma will be one of several Twin Harbors teams competing at the Ocosta Volleyball Tournament, also on Saturday. ^
Hoquiam 14 25 15 25 15 – 3
Elma 25 14 25 17 10 – 1
Leading players: Hoquiam – Brook-Andrew (12 kills, 6 blocks); LaBounty (22 digs); Bratt (19 digs, 12 kills); Goulet (9 kills); Brodhead (25 assists). Elma – Bogar (12 kills, 10 digs); Warren (21 digs); Moore (9 kills, 7 aces).
Montesano 3, Tenino 1
Montesano remained in the top spot in the 1A Evergreen League with a 3-1 victory on Thursday in Tenino.
The Bulldogs (6-6, 5-0 1A Evergreen) defeated the third-place Beavers (7-6, 2-3) by scores of 25-16, 18-25, 25-14 and 25-17.
“We did not play our best tonight but we played well enough to get the win,” Montesano head coach Cindy Wecker said. “We served great. We only had one missed serve in four sets. I am also pleased with how our blocking is coming along. The girls – specifically our middles – are getting their timing down and getting their hands on the ball quite often. It is nice to see the things we work on in practice happening in the games.”
Monte’s defense – which has been stellar in its current five-game winning streak – was led by junior Liv Robinson (26 digs), sophomore Bentley Warne (23 digs) and junior setter Karissa Otterstetter (19 digs), whom combined for 68 digs in the match.
Otterstetter dished out 18 assists on offense, with junior Kylee Wisdom recording a team-high 13 kills to go along with three blocks.
Sophomore Jillie Dalan led Monte with four blocks on the evening.
The Bulldogs are a game up on Hoquiam in the league standings and will play at the Ocosta Volleyball Tournament on Saturday.
Montesano 25 18 25 25 – 3
Tenino 16 25 14 17 – 1
Leading players: Montesano – Robinson (26 digs 6 aces, 5 kills); Warne (23 digs); Otterstetter (18 assists, 19 digs, 2 blocks, 6 aces); Hatton (7 digs, 8 kills); Dalan (4 blocks, 5 kills); Wisdom (13 kills, 3 blocks); Gooding (6 assists); Wallace (4 assists).
Raymond-South Bend 3, Chief Leschi 0
Raymond-South Bend remained unbeaten in the 2B Pacific League with a straight set victory over Chief Leschi on Thursday at Raymond High School.
The Ravens (9-3, 8-0 2B Pacific) dispatched of the Warriors (0-10, 0-7) by scores of 25-10, 25-10 and 25-10.
Emily Howell (14-14 service, 5 aces), Ava Baugher (11 kills, 3 blocks), Kyndal Koski (16 digs) and Berklee Morley (30 assists) led the Ravens, which allowed 30 total points in the match.
Ava Pine and Summer Stigall added six and four kills, respectively, for the league-leading Ravens.
RSB faces second-place Forks at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday at Forks High School.
Chief Leschi 10 10 10 – 0
RSB 25 25 25 – 3
Ocosta 3, North Beach 0
Ocosta remained in the hunt for a top-two league playoff spot with a straight-set victory over North Beach on Thursday in Ocean Shores.
Ocosta (8-4, 5-3 2B Pacific) defeated the Hyaks (4-8, 2-6) by scores of 25-20, 25-8 and 25-14.
The Wildcats were led by Samantha Schlegel (14 kills), Anna Davis (6 kills), Noel Cuzdey (15 digs, 4 aces) and Millie Tucker (13-13 service).
“Our team adapted very well to line up changes tonight,” Ocosta head coach Erin Snider said. “Our serve-receive was much better than it has been the past couple of games and our serving percentage was 90% as a team.”
Ocosta sits in third place in the 2B Pacific League and is now three games up on North Beach in the league standings.
Both teams will compete at the Ocosta Volleyball Tournament on Saturday in Westport.
Ocosta 25 25 25 – 3
North Beach 20 8 14 – 0
