By Michael Carman
Peninsula Daily News
BREMERTON — The Port Angeles volleyball team closed out its season with a three-set sweep of Olympic 25-15, 25-22, 25-10.
It was the Roughriders’ first five-set, regular-season match victory since Oct. 24, 2016, snapping a 31-game losing streak, including 26 straight Olympic League 2A Division games.
“I’m proud of the girls for sticking together to the very end,” Port Angeles coach Christine Halberg said. “It takes a lot of heart to go out there the last match of the season when they haven’t gained the confidence they need to play at the level they are capable of.
“They all wanted that win and they worked together for it. Doubt crept in a little bit in Set 2 when Olympic had a serving run late in the set, but they got the ball back, got back on track and finished. Not only did they finish that set but they had no doubt and no mercy in Set 3 winning 25-10.”
Halberg said her team played with “poise and consistency.”
“Our pre-game talk consisted of just that — make the best play on every ball no matter what,” Halberg said.
Madison Cooke had her best match to date with 10 kills, no errors and a 50 percent kill rate. She also had her best night blocking with five.
Cooke totaled five kills and two blocks as part of a first-set run of nine earned kills/blocks by the Riders.
“Olympic struggled with hitting around Madison after that,” Halberg said.
“When you’ve got somebody owning the net at that rate, it tends to inspire energy, momentum and a lot of confidence in the rest of your team.”
Halberg said that later on in that set Aeverie Politika added a run of three straight kills to give Port Angeles a 19-12 lead.
Kennedy Bruch, Emi Halberg and Hannah Reetz led the team in serving both in points scored and aces. Bruch and and Halberg served 17 for 17, with six aces and one ace, respectively.
Reetz served 15 for 15 with three aces.
Halberg led the team with 10 digs, Politika had eight and Bruch and Emma Olson added seven apiece.
“The team played scrappy tonight with very few balls hitting the floor,” Halberg said. “They kept the ball alive and forcing the ball back to Olympic.
Halberg said the team posted a season-high 2.0 serve receive ratio with three players passing above 2.00 — Politika, Olson and Halberg.
“That is very key for us,” Halberg said. “When we pass well, everything else comes together easier.
Politika also smashed seven kills and hit consistently throughout the match. Emi Halberg added three kills. Nacia Bohman tallied up 22 assists among six hitters and did a great job choosing her offense tonight knowing where her hitters were and who to set at the right time.”
Kingston 3, Sequim 1
SEQUIM — The Wolves ended up tied for second with Kingston after the Trojans won 3-1 (23-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-11).
Tuesday’s match was the only loss all year for the Wolves to a team other than North Kitsap.
Kalli Wiker served 19 for 19 with five aces and 10 digs. Brittney Gale served 15 for 16 with 21 assists and 15 digs.
On the front line, Tayler Breckenridge served 9 for 10 with 19 perfect passes, nine kills and 16 digs. Bobbi Sparks served 12 for 12 with 11 digs. Isabelle Dennis served 8 for 10 with 16 perfect passes and 14 digs.
Sequim (9-3, 11-3) next plays Saturday at the Olympic League Tournament with the Wolves’ opening match against Kingston (9-3, 10-4). Whether Sequim won or lost Tuesday’s match, the Wolves were going to play Kingston again either way because the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds begin the tournament playing each other.
Larson, Bingham MVPs
PORT ANGELES — Sequim senior Murray Bingham and Port Angeles sophomore Lauren Larson head up the Class 1A/2A Olympic League Cross Country All-League teams as boys and girls MVPs, respectively.
Other North Olympic Peninsula runners honored include Port Angeles junior Kynzie DeLeon, Sequim freshman Riley Pyeatt, Port Townsend’s Anika Avelino and Chimacum’s Rachel Matthes on the girls team.
Bingham is joined by Port Townsend junior Nathan Cantrell and senior Gabe Petrick, Port Angeles junior Thomas Shaw and Sequim senior Liam Byrne.
