By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Sitka Wolves volleyball squad ended their long and high-performing season on Friday, claiming fourth place at the ASAA State Championships at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.
“For my first time coaching a team up there I didn’t really have expectations,” said Sitka coach Zaide Allen, “I just went up wanting us to do well and play hard and I think that we did that.”
Sitka’s first match was against Valdez, on Thursday, where the Wolves won 3-0, with sets scores of 25-18, 25-23, and 25-23.
“Ava Brady, against Valdez, they could not pick up anything,” coach Allen said. “She would hit it line, and angle, and tip it, and they just could not pick it up.”
Allen recounted another moment in which Ava Brady, the varsity squad’s sole freshman, “punched at the ball and it went over, and they didn’t get it.”
Later on Thursday, Sitka fell to Kenai Central 0-3. The Kardinals took the series 26-24, 25-19 and a tight 26-24. Kenai Central ended up taking second place in the tournament.
On Friday, Sitka first faced off against Monroe Catholic, winning 3-0, with sets of 25-22, 26-24, 25-20.
This victory pitted the Lady Wolves against Homer, which took the series in three straight games, 25-20, 25-16, 25-23. Homer went on to take the 3A title.
“The two teams that we lost to, were the two that were in the final,” Allen noted.
In that final matchup between Homer and Kenai Central, the competition was a roller coaster. Homer won 3-2, with set scores 11-25, 25-14, 25-16, 12-25, 15-8.
Commenting on the wild variability of those set scores, Allen said, “We were sitting there like ‘this is the strangest thing.’” Homer won the final “if-game” 30-24 to clinch the championship title.
“Our serving was pretty good throughout the whole tournament,” Allen said. “We did well on serve receive, and we did well covering the ball.”
But Sitka struggled to block their opponents’ hits.
“Jocelyn Brady had a really solid weekend,” coach Allen told the Sentinel. “Chloe Morrison had a couple of really good hitting games. Zaeda had a really good weekend setting. Tiffany and Rean had really good weekends passing and Taliah and Morgan had good weekends too.”
Morrison was named to the all-conference team. Dumag earned the “Player of the Game” distinction twice. Morrison and Jocelyn Brady were each named “Player of the Game” once.
“I think that just the experience that all the girls got to go up and do that, it’s just so cool,” Allen said. With only one player, libero Tiffany Elefante, graduating this year, the Wolves look likely to have a solid volleyball squad again for the 2020 season.
“I’m just super excited to have most of them back again,” Allen said. “Because I think that coming into it with a team that unexperienced ... you just don’t know will it come together, when will it come together, how will it come together. And I am definitely very happy about how it came together.”
Allen especially thanked assistant coaches Kristi Brady and Marc Dumag for all of their help in the season. Allen also expressed gratitude for the parents, and other supporters of the team.
