By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka High and Mt. Edgecumbe volleyball teams stretched their legs for the first time this season at the Volleyball Jamboree in Juneau over the weekend.
The matches didn’t count toward the official season rankings, but instead served as scrimmages where teams and their players could test themselves.
Both teams have their first official matches coming up in the next few days.
MEHS volleyball coach Mike Mahoney told the Sentinel that these early matches are a “great time to shake off the rust.” He was happy with his team’s performance in Juneau, noting that Edgecumbe was the only team to defeat the formidable 4A team from Thunder Mountain High School.
Mahoney noted that statistics from these early games aren’t particularly meaningful indicators of future performance, because teams used the Jamboree matches to give their entire teams, including young or inexperienced players, some time on the court.
The Sitka High Wolves volleyball team poses after practice Wednesday. Front row from left are Antonete Partido, Tamryn Suarez, Tiffany Elefante, Rean Famini, and Zaeda Dumag. Back row from left are Morgan Fedpausch, Jocelyn Brady, Chloe Morrison, and Taliah Fredrickson. (Sentinel Photo)
Sitka High coach Zaide Allen said the Jamboree “went well – it was fun.” However, she noted, she has “a really young team, with a lot of girls who were either on JV or C teams last year.” In fact, the Wolves have only “one senior, and she’s the only one (on the team) who’s played varsity through an entire season before.”
Because of this very young team, Allen said her main goal at the moment is “consistency.”
Though the Sitka and Edgecumbe teams were together for the Jamboree last weekend, they will go their separate ways this week. MEHS will compete in Anchorage today, and in Nikiski over the weekend. The matches in Nikiski are part of a six-team tournament. Mahoney said that it will be tough, but “it’s going to be some good volleyball.”
SHS is headed back to Juneau Saturday and Sunday to play against Thunder Mountain. Allen said that “it will just be fun to see where this young group of girls goes with it.”
The two local teams will compete against each other this season, as usual. Sitka’ Allen said Edgecumbe’s team “plays the ball really smart, and MEHS’ Mahoney said “the matches this year with Sitka are going to be good.”
