By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Two years after the last Region V volleyball tournament, the Sitka High Lady Wolves clinched the regional title in a one-sided victory over the Mt. Edgecumbe Lady Braves, Wednesday at MEHS. Sitka won in three sets, 25-12, 25-7 and 25-14.
For the seniors on the court, Wednesday was the final chance to play volleyball in Sitka.
“We really, really wanted it. For the seniors, it’s the last game ever in Sitka, so we kind of had to make it count and go out big and show them what we can actually do,” Sitka senior Chloe Morrison said after the match.
Sitka’s hard-hitting offense and staunch defense successfully shut down any attempt by Mt. Edgecumbe to rally. Aided by the precision of team setter Zaeda Dumag, Morrison and her teammate Taliah Fredrickson cracked Edgecumbe’s defense to ensure the Wolves’ win in the second match of the Region V tournament. Sitka won the first match Tuesday evening in the best-of-three tournament.
After sealing another regional title, Morrison said she was “pretty emotional, but we still have state. So it’s not my last game ever.”
When Morrison was a sophomore in the fall of 2019, the Wolves took fourth place in the state tournament.
Sitka junior Jessie Christner enjoyed her first Region V win.
“It was really fun, good to go out with a bang and then go on to state,” Christner said.
Lady Wolves senior Chloe Morrison hits the ball as Mt. Edgecumbe’s Virginia Nassuk (2) and Annika Larson (9) defend in the Region V championship volleyball match, Wednesday at Mt. Edgecumbe High. Sitka claimed the regional title and will compete in Anchorage next week. (Sentinel photo by James Poulson)
She’s already looking forward to the state championship matches in Anchorage next week.
“Excited, because we get to play up north, and north has a variety of skills and it’s a lot different from playing the teams that we always get to play every year,” she said. “Just nervous also playing teams that we don’t play, and some of them we haven’t played before (this season).”
For junior Michele Winger, the highlight of being on the Wolves’ squad is the team itself.
“I really enjoyed playing with everyone on the team – it was really fun,” she said.
Like Christner and Morrison, she’s eager for state.
“Excited to play the teams but also nervous to see the skill level of teams we’ve never seen,” Winger said.
Having coached many of her athletes for years, Sitka High coach Zaide Allen was eager for the chance at a state title.
“Just coaching these girls since they were in middle school, and just seeing where they are today makes me really excited to be able to go coach them at state, end to end, go all the way through and play. It’s fun, exciting. It’s fun to play teams up north and have a chance at state,” Allen said.
Looking back on the final match of the regional tournament, Allen said her team came together at the right time.
“They were just really determined, and played really hard and kept swinging and swung accurately. It felt like it really just clicked, gelled at the time that it needed to,” the coach said. “Everyone just fought really hard and played really hard and played some of the best volleyball that I’ve seen.”
Following the game, Chloe Morrison, Taliah Fredrickson and Zaeda Dumag were named All-Region athletes for Sitka. From Mt. Edgecumbe, Tessa Anderson, Mia Anderson and Charlee Korthuis earned the title. Edgecumbe’s team earned the Sportsmanship award, and the individual Good Sport awards went to Sitka’s Riley Nutting and Jessie Christner and Edgecumbe’s Mia Anderson and Shaedyn Barr.
Seniors set to graduate with good grades received the All-Academic award. From Sitka, Dumag, Nutting, Morrison, Fredrickson and Jenivive Sibayan earned that accolade. From MEHS, Mia Anderson, Annalyse Conforti, Charlee Korthuis, Lisa Strom and Virginia Nassuk were named All-Academic athletes.
Braves sophomore Tessa Anderson, of Sitka, was happy for the All-Region award.
“It feels really good because I feel that I worked hard for it. And it also makes it even better because Mia (Anderson) also got one and she’s leaving. So that’s nice,” she said.
Win or lose, Edgecumbe’s team remained positive, she noted.
“It was an experience, it was also nice with the team because I think we had a really good attitude, so we had fun even though we lost,” she said.
She’s already thinking about next season.
“I’m really looking forward to our team, because I think our chemistry worked really well this year,” Anderson said.
She complimented Sitka as well.
“Sitka did a great job. I think we had a good season with them,” Anderson said.
Her teammate, Shaedyn Barr of Kiana, also emphasized her team’s ability to stay upbeat.
“Our highlights would be getting back into the game, changing our mindset, and even though we’re losing, just getting our heads straight and finishing strong,” Barr said after the tournament.
The junior was happy for the Good Sport award as well.
“It honestly feels really great because I worked really hard with a good attitude, and I like that I’m getting an award that values more than even talent,” she said.
With her season over, Barr, like Anderson, is eager for a chance to play volleyball again next year.
“I’m also really looking forward to improving my skills and working to build a chemistry with the returning team… and also for the new players,” she said.
Barr was glad for the Sitkan friends she made during the season as well.
“I have a few friends that I made along the way from Sitka, like while we were in the airport. And I think they also did a great job and it’s fun to play against them,” she said.
MEHS coach Mike Mahoney was proud of his team.
“They played well. The girls did their best. The best thing I like about our team this year is that regardless of whether we’re winning or losing, their attitudes are always good. I think they did a great job earning the sportsmanship award this year,” the coach said. “I’m sure it’s not the trophy they wanted to bring home, but we’re still proud of the fact they have great attitudes.”
He complimented the team’s captains for their role in keeping the team positive.
“It comes from our senior leadership. Our team captains Charlee (Korthuis) and Mia (Anderson) made a decision early on in the season that they wanted their team to have a good attitude no matter what,” Mahoney said.
Like his athletes, Mahoney is eager to see what his squad can do in 2022.
“A young team coming in, very little experience and that was part of our post-game talk. The fact that we had three girls on the court tonight that started the season on C Team. We had maybe seven or eight of the 14 girls on the bench tonight play in JV matches this year,” he said. “They are new to volleyball, they are young and they are hungry. They improved a lot and I think it’s great that these girls got a lot of experience on the court. And I think that will help them next year.”
