FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson) 

New RFP Sought For Managing PAC
27 Mar 2024 14:48

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]

Seiners Get Second Day with 2 Areas to Fish
27 Mar 2024 14:46

By Sentinel Staff
    The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]

Braves Take Second in Last Minute Upset
27 Mar 2024 12:41

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
    After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]

Tuesday City League Volleyball
27 Mar 2024 12:39

By Sentinel Staff
    The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]

Kodiak Alutiiq Museum Getting New Attention
27 Mar 2024 12:37

By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
    A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]

House Hearing on Inmate Deaths Halted
27 Mar 2024 12:35

By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
    A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in  [ ... ]

Nominee to Bering Sea Council: Not a Trawler
27 Mar 2024 12:34

By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
    Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]

March 27, 2024, Police Blotter
27 Mar 2024 12:26

Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]

March 27, 2024, Community Happenings
27 Mar 2024 12:25

Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]

Reassessments Raise Tax Bills for Sitkans
26 Mar 2024 15:22

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]

Two Areas Opened in Herring Fishery Today
26 Mar 2024 15:21

By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]

Lady Wolves Rally to Take Fourth at State
26 Mar 2024 15:16

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
    Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]

Edgecumbe Girls Close Out Season Up North
26 Mar 2024 14:58

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
    Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]

City League Monday
26 Mar 2024 14:55

By Sentinel Staff
    Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]

House Votes to Broaden Rules For Review Panel Memb...
26 Mar 2024 14:52

By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
    A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday  [ ... ]

Alaskan Grilled in D.C. Over Climate Science
26 Mar 2024 14:51

By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
    Gus Schumacher, the Anchorage Olympic cross-country skier, a [ ... ]

Faster Internet Speeds In Rural Schools OK'd
26 Mar 2024 13:53

By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
    Alaska’s rural schools are on track to access faster interne [ ... ]

Native Words Gathered In Environment Studies
26 Mar 2024 13:52

By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
    In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska,  [ ... ]

March 26, 2024, Police Blotter
26 Mar 2024 13:49

Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]

March 26, 2024, Community Happenings
26 Mar 2024 13:48

Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m.  [ ... ]

Sac Roe Herring Fishery Opens in Hayward
25 Mar 2024 15:30

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]

Projects on the Table For Cruise Tax Funds
25 Mar 2024 15:28

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]

Braves Take Second at State after Close Loss
25 Mar 2024 15:23

By Sentinel Staff
    Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]

City League Games Continue
25 Mar 2024 15:11

By Sentinel Staff
    Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]

Other Articles

Daily Sitka Sentinel

MEHS Volleyball Team Wins State Crown

By SHANNON HAUGLAND

Sentinel Staff Writer

The Mt. Edgecumbe High School volleyball team fought off two match points to win its third state championship in four years at the 3A ASAA volleyball tournament Saturday in Anchorage.



Mt. Edgecumbe’s Dani Merculief lets the ball slip past her fingers during the state 3A volleyball championships against the Monroe Catholic Rams Saturday, at the Alaska Airlines Center. (Photo by Loren Holmes/Alaska Dispatch News)

 

“We flexed our ‘never quit’ muscles,’” Braves Coach Mike Mahoney said. “The girls played a real tough, gritty match. ... Everybody wanted it bad. Nobody was being handed it.”

The title came down to a single set played to 30 points, win by 2, between the Braves and Monroe Catholic High School. MEHS emerged victorious with a nail-biting 33-31 win.

“We were down 24-19, so it wasn’t looking good,” Mahoney said. “Both coaches were out of time outs. I yelled at them to ‘play with heart, play with heart!’ ... They fought back tooth and nail to get to 29 even.”

The Braves staved off two match points at 30-29 and 31-30, before getting the advantage at 32-31 over the Rams.

“Kathy Holly, from the outside hit the ball deep in the corner,” Mahoney said. “It must’ve been in by two inches – that put us up by 1.”

At 32-31, Renatta Olson was serving for the match, and got the rally off to a good start with a strong serve.

“The rally went on quite a long time – (Monroe) had some good hits, and our back row was digging them up,” Mahoney said. The match ended with the crucial decision – and keen eye – by Taryn White who could’ve hit the tip but judged that it might go wide, and allowed the ball fall.

“Taryn White was able to go for it, and they let the ball drop,” Mahoney said. “It seemed like it dropped forever” before the line judge pulled the flag to call the ball out.

The entire arena erupted when that happened, Mahoney said.

The coach said there was screaming, hugging and “crying tears of joy” by the Braves on the court. The girls throughout the tourney had a cheer they would yell, “I believe we will win” in the final chorus. And after they took the championship, they chanted a variation, “I believe that we just won!”

Mahoney, in his first year back coaching the Braves, called the final game “the most exciting match of my entire career.” 

“It was an instant classic – it was awesome,” he said. Mahoney coached the Braves more than a decade ago for a few years, and returned this year.

The Braves started their tournament in fine form, with a win against Nikiski on Thursday, 25-13, 25-11, 25-16; and against Valdez, 25-23, 25-20, 25-27, 25-20, before going up against Monroe Catholic. 

Monroe Catholic defeated last year’s championship team, Grace Christian School in the quarters in straight sets, 25-14, 25-15, 25-13, and Homer in the semis, also in straight sets, to face Edgecumbe.

In the winner’s bracket game Friday night, Edgecumbe took down Monroe in four, 18-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-17, sending Monroe to the losers bracket to face Grace Christian again. Monroe captured the Saturday morning match, 3-1, to go up against Edgecumbe again.

This time, Saturday afternoon, it was a different story between Monroe and MEHS.

“It was an absolute dogfight,” Mahoney said.

The teams were evenly matched at two games apiece, 25-23, 18-25, 25-27, 25-23, with MEHS winning the second and third sets, and Monroe Catholic taking the first and fourth.

The fifth set only goes to 15, so Edgecumbe was feeling good when the team went up 10-5.

“We could almost smell victory,” Mahoney said.

That feeling was short-lived when the Braves suffered seven unforced errors, and lost the game 15-12, which forced the final single set to 30 between the two schools for the championships.

Mahoney said the girls have a lot to be proud of. Three of the graduating seniors have three state championship titles, and one state runner-up honor to their names.

“It’s an unbelievably talented group of girls,” Mahoney said. “They work hard, they’re good teammates, they help pick each other up when they’re down – they’re a great bunch of girls to work with.”

Taryn was “lights out” at the front row, while Renatta Olson and Eden Cronk played tough in the back, digging the balls out. “Payton Weisz was great, too, rising up to the occasion,” and Angelique Zeller was a “blocking machine,” the coach said.

Although the team will be losing some key players to graduation – Olson, Holly, Cronk, Merculief and White – Mahoney feels the tradition of topnotch volleyball will be carried on by a strong group of underclassmen.

Mahoney, who coaches with Becky Friske, gave credit to building the program to former coach Rich Calkins and former assistant coach Archie Young. Young came to the game to see his former team play.

“A lot of respect goes to the job Rich Calkins did here,” Mahoney said. “He did a wonderful job preparing them for this – Rich, and Archie did a lot too.”

A celebration to honor the team is set for 4:15 p.m. Wednesday at the B.J. McGillis Field House. The public is invited to the celebration that will include recognition of the championship team members and coaches and the official presentation of the trophy to the school. Keith Perkins will be the guest speaker.

 

MEHS Principal Bernie Gurule said that the school administration has declared Wednesday “cardinal and gold” school colors day, when everyone is asked to wear the school colors in honor of the team’s accomplishment.

You have no rights to post comments

Login Form

 

20 YEARS AGO

March 2004

Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.


50 YEARS AGO

March 1974

Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....

Calendar

Local Events

Instagram

Daily Sitka Sentinel on Instagram!

Facebook

Daily Sitka Sentinel on Facebook!