By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Mt. Edgecumbe Lady Braves volleyball team downed the Sitka Wolves in their opening best-of-five sets match in the Southeast Region V Volleyball Tournament at Juneau-Douglas High School on Friday, winning 25-17, 25-23, 25-10.
“This is what I was hoping for,” Mt. Edgecumbe coach Michael Mahoney said. “We prepared for this. I like to say when we hit regionals and state tournaments then my job is done. We have downloaded as much volleyball as we can into them and we go out there and see what they can do. We help them from the bench as much as we can but the girls did a great job of working themselves out of tough situations and a great job of communicating tonight.”
Lady Braves junior Vernae Ramoth opened tourney play with a kill but a violation gave service to Sitka and junior Tamara Zankiz put the first ace over the net.
The teams exchanged points and runs until Lady Braves’ senior Grace Garner hit an ace and two drifting serves that were passed back across the net for a tip point by junior Shayna Warnke-Green and a block point by senior Haley Sweet-Cushing.
Serves were key for the Lady Braves with Garner collecting six aces and Warnke-Green five.
“I’ve been working on my float serve for a couple years now,” Garner said. “I think I am really getting the hang of it. Coach really pushes us on practicing our serves every single day… and it is really working out for the team.”
Sitka seniors Joei Vidad and Avery Voron kept the Lady Wolves in the game with three kills apiece on sets by Zankiz.
“Tamara did a beautiful job serving, a beautiful job setting, too,” Sitka coach Natalie Voron said. “We have been working with her on getting the sets higher and she did a nice job tonight.”
Zanikiz set to Voron for a kill bringing Sitka within five, 22-17, but a miss-hit gave service to Mt. Edgecumbe and junior Joeli Carlson finished the set aided by kills by senior Tyra Brown and sophomore Brody Wysocki for the win 25-17.
In game two Warnke-Green took service trailing 12-15 and put the ball over until the Lady Braves led 18-15.
A kill by Vidad earned Sitka service, and errors by both teams put senior Abby Forrester at the line until the Wolves led again, 20-19.
A kill by Mt. Edgecumbe’s Wysocki, two Sitka miss-hits and a kill by Brown put the Lady Braves up 23-20.
Swapping errors brought the score to 24-21 and a Mt. Edgecumbe service error made it 24-22.
Vidad killed a shot to put the Wolves to 24-23 but an error gave the game to Mt. Edgecumbe.
“It’s a matter of points and a matter of misses,” Sitka coach Voron said. “We are just making those mistakes when we cannot do it.”
In game three the teams traded points to 7-7 with Vidad, Avery Voron and freshman Chloe Morrison killing shots for Sitka and Wysocki, Ramoth and Warnke-Green for Mt. Edgecumbe.
A tip score by Warnke-Green earned Garner service at 8-7 and she put the ball over until the Lady Braves led 18-7.
Sitka never recovered and Warnke-Green hit two aces and Sweet-Cushing killed to end the match 25-10.
Unofficial stats have Mt. Edgecumbe’s Sweet-Cushing leading the Lady Braves with five kills (and four blocks), Wysocki five kills, Ramoth five kills (three blocks), and assorted kills from senior Leticia Skaflestad and Brown. Senior Amy Bioff led with 15 assists. Bioff and Garner had nine digs apiece.
Sitka’s Vidad and Voron finished with five kills apiece and Morrison three. Zankiz led with 10 assists. Senior Miah Dumag led the Wolves with eight digs.
“The key for us as a team is if we serve well we are a tough team to beat,” Mt. Edgecumbe coach Mahoney said. “ … Sitka is a tough team with a great bunch of girls and they are going to come after us tomorrow and the girls know it. Our team is prepared and are not going to take anything for granted.”
Gathering in the gym corner the Wolves were told to leave the game on the court.
“Short-term memory,” coach Voron said. “Let’s forget about today, forget about this right now. We have tomorrow and two matches to play.”
Mt. Edgecumbe and Sitka play at 2 p.m. Saturday.
If the Lady Braves win they are the Southeast champions and go to the state tournament. If the Wolves win the teams play immediately after in one game to 30 points for the title and a trip to state.
“We’re going to come back out firing,” Voron said.
