Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Port Angeles’ Nacia Bohman goes for the ball as teammate Ava Brenkman, left, looks on during the first game of their Tuesday night match against North Mason at Port Angeles High School.

Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Port Angeles’ Nacia Bohman goes for the ball as teammate Ava Brenkman, left, looks on during the first game of their Tuesday night match against North Mason at Port Angeles High School.

PREP SPORTS ROUNDUP: Port Angeles volleyball a set away from first win

By Michael Carman and Pierre LaBossiere

Peninsula Daily News

PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles lost a heartbreaker of an Olympic League volleyball match 3-2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-7) to North Mason, but coach Christine Grunch-Halberg was impressed with the heart both evenly matched teams showed in the 204-point marathon.

“Despite the loss, the [Roughriders] improved in every area of their game by leaps and bounds and that’s success,” Grunch-Halberg said.

“North Mason had a couple good hitters but their team was very scrappy, which we knew coming in. The [Riders] hitters put down a ton of balls that North Mason just wouldn’t let lie,” she said.

The Riders trailed 20-15 in the first set of Tuesday’s match but rallied to win 25-23.

After winning the second set to get up 2-0, the Riders were locked in a tight one in the third set, down just 18-17, but the Bulldogs were able to close it out to win 25-19 and pull within one at 2-1. The fourth set was another close one before the Bulldogs finally pulled away to win the fifth easily.

“There were many long rallies where they fought hard and never gave up. The entire match was hard fought and full of heart,” Grunch-Halberg said.

Madison Cooke led the team, serving 18 for 18 with five aces. Nacia Bohman served 23 for 23 with two aces, Emi Halberg served 10 for 10 and Aeverie Politika was 12 of 14.

Cooke had 14 kills, while Politika had eight. Setter Bohman had 24 assists. Halberg had 11 digs, while Politika and libero Emma Olson had nine each.

Jaida Wood had four blocks, while Ava Brenkman had three.

The Riders (0-3, 0-4) play first-place North Kitsap (3-0, 4-0) at 6:15 p.m. today in Poulsbo.

North Kitsap 3, Sequim 1

POULSBO — The Wolves learned they can hang with the powerhouse Vikings, but also learned they need to do a few things better in a 3-1 (25-16, 20-25, 25-21, 25-18) loss in a road battle for the Olympic League 2A Division’s first place.

The match was even closer than the score indicates as the Wolves, who came in to Tuesday’s match undefeated on the year, were ahead 17-15 in the third set and were behind just 19-18 in the fourth set. In both sets, the Vikings were able to go on big runs to close out the Wolves.

“No one else in the league has taken a [set] from them all year,” said coach Jennie Webber-Heilman.

“We had some great moments and played some great defense,” Webber-Heilman said. She said one difference between the two teams is that North Kitsap has three or four major hitters while the Wolves got most of their kills from Tayler Breckenridge.

“They know we can beat them now,” Webber-Heilman said. “We have to let them not get runs … we need to have other hitters.”

Breckenridge ended up with 23 kills and 18 digs while serving eight for eight.

Libero Isabelle Dennis had 21 digs served 17 for 18 and had 15 perfect passes. Setter Brittney Gale was 11 for 12 with 17 assists and nine digs, while setter Kali Wiker was 18 for 18 with 19 assists and eight digs. Arlene Law had four kills while Bobbi Sparks served 11 for 11 with six digs. Jayla Julmist was 12 for 12 serving with four stuff blocks.

The good news is Sequim is still in second place in league and the Wolves get the Vikings at home later in the season.

Sequim is off for a full week. The Wolves (3-1, 5-1) host North Mason (3-1, 5-1) at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Port Townsend 3, Chimacum 2

PORT TOWNSEND — The Redhawks rallied back from a two-set deficit to knock off the rival Cowboys on Tuesday.

Port Townsend won the final three sets 25-22, 25-21, 15-9.

“A core of six players from our roster for the final three games worked together for the win with senior Abigail Kithcart as setter in our 5-1 offense and juniors Izzy Hammett and Tori Minnihan acting as middle hitters-blockers and primary point scorers who lead the team with kills and blocks,” Redhawks coach Kim Matthews said.

“Sierra Ruegg (junior), Katie Ballard and Lexi Sharp (two sophomores) rounded out the team as hitters and defensive specialists.”

Matthews said strong serving was important in the win, with aces tallied by every server.

“Kithcart achieved the longest string of points in game three (points 5-11) while three attackers in our front row kept the heat on Chimacum during her serves,” she said.

“This is our first match win and an important league win as we strive to improve the team in overall skills after the loss of seven seniors from last year’s Redhawk varsity volleyball roster.”

Port Townsend (1-0, 1-3) hosts Klahowya today.

Chimacum (0-2, 0-4) visits Vashon for a nonleague match today.

Clallam Bay 3, Lake Quinault 1

AMANDA PARK — The Bruins shook off a first-set defeat to beat the Elks 23-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-21 on the road Tuesday.

“The game was OK, the girls struggled with being sick,” Clallam Bay coach Amanda Maines said. “But they worked through it and came out with the “W.”

The Bruins (2-1) host the Sequim JV today.

Mary M. Knight 3, Crescent 0

MATLOCK — The Owls beat the Loggers 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-17).

Casey Hale served 19 for 22 for Crescent with six aces. Elizabeth Treadway had six digs.

Crescent (1-2) next plays at Oakville today. The Loggers beat the Acorns last week.

Girls Soccer Port Angeles 1, North Mason 0

PORT ANGELES — The Roughriders remained in good form and tied for first with Olympic and North Kitsap in the Olympic League 2A Division with a shutout victory over the Bulldogs.

The win sets Port Angeles (3-0-0, 5-1-0) up an early season fight for first place against the Vikings (3-0-0, 3-1-1) today in Poulsbo.

Port Angeles remains the only Olympic League team yet to be scored on in league play after allowing just two shots on goal — both handled calmly by goalkeeper Madi Roening.

And the Riders dominated offensively, finishing the game with 25 shots.

North Mason goalkeeper Morgan Mihelich had four game-saving dives and tips and kept the Bulldogs in the game through the 55th minute.

The breakthrough came when forward Millie Long beat her defender on the right side, attacked the goal with a dribble then passed to freshman Catie Brown 5 yards from goal.

Brown crushed the shot past a diving Mihelich for her second goal of the season.

“Millie Long’s great pass from the end line set me up for the goal,” said Brown. “I was thinking that I had to come through for my team and get the ball in the net.”

It was Long’s fifth assist of the year.

“We dominated the game, but the point of the game is to score goals and we missed five or six shots in the first half,” said Riders coach Scott Moseley. “Our half-time talk was on doing your job — you’re a forward, you score. In practice, we had just worked on the shot that Catie scored on, so it was nice to see it applied in the game.”

Shinia Kildall notched a hat trick in the Port Angeles JV’s 3-1 win over the Vikings.

North Kitsap 1, Sequim 0

POULSBO — The Wolves played tough but were edged out on a Vikings’ goal near the end of regulation.

“It was a tight game on both sides,” Sequim coach Derek Vandervelde said.

“It went to the 79th minute until a goal game through. Just a bunch of people in the box, a mad scramble for sure.”

Vandervelde said his Wolves immediately went on the attack in the final moments but couldn’t score the equalizer.

“The girls created probably three or four good scoring chances right after that goal but couldn’t put it in the back of the net,” he said.

Still, he was please with the way his team bounced back from a loss to Olympic last week.

“Everybody all the way around did a good job of showing up and playing well,” Vandervelde said. “North Kitsap is a really good team, so to go from a 5-1 loss to Olympic to taking North K to the limit, it showed that these girls are fighters and they are resilient.”

Sequim (0-4-0, 0-5-1) will look for its first win of the season today in a nonleague match against Chimacum.

Boys Tennis Port Angeles 4, Bremerton 3

PORT ANGELES — In one of the hardest-fought tennis meets they’ll ever find themselves in, the Roughriders gutted out a 4-3 win over Bremerton.

“This was a match that could have gone either way, but we found a way to win some really big points,” said Port Angeles coach Brian Gundersen.

Two of the four doubles’ matches went to three sets, with the Knights and Riders splitting those two.

But, the match of the day was by singles player Daniel Basden as he went to a 30-point tiebreaker. He beat Bremerton’s Coby Williams 6-2, 7-6 (16-14).

“Daniel is a gamer. He seems to find a way in the biggest moments to play some of this best tennis,” Gundersen said.

The win leaves Port Angeles (4-2) in a three-way tie for third place in the Olympic League. The Riders played at North Mason (0-3) Wednesday after press deadline, then next play at Chimacum at 4 p.m. Monday.

Port Angeles 4, Bremerton 3

Match Report

Singles

No. 1: Garrett Lawson (B) def. Hayden Woods (PA), 6-2, 7-5

No. 2: Alex Mejia (B) def. Wyatt Hall (PA) 6-3, 6-2

No. 3: Daniel Basden defeated Coby Williams, 6-2, 7-6 (16-14)

Doubles

No. 1: Bo Bradow-Milo Whitman (PA) def. Ian Stuart-Evan Frankowski (B), 6-2, 6-2

No. 2: Nolan Myers-Brett Blankenship (B) def. Kyler Tourbin-Brady Nickerson (PA), 2-6, 7-6, 6-3

No. 3: Jadon Seibel-Lucas Jarnigan (PA) def. Marco Tang-Matt Quall (B), 6-3, 6-1

No. 4: Kam Noard-Landon Seibel (PA) def. Josh Rutledge-Tim Kubitz (B), 6-1, 2-6, 6-1

Girls Swimming Port Angeles 137, Klahowya 39

SILVERDALE — The Roughriders dominated against Klahowya and posted eight new individual district qualifying times in doing so.

Nadia Cole and Emma Murray each won two individual events and were part of the winning 200-meter medley team. Felicia Che won one event and was a member of the 200 medley. In all, the Riders won 10 swimming and one diving event.

The Riders (1-1-0) next host Sequim (1-0-1) at 3:30 p.m. today.

Qualifying for district were:

• Cole — 200 Freestyle, first, 2:05.12; 50 freestyle, first, 26.33.

• Murray — 200 individual medley, first, 2:33.42; 100 butterfly, first, 1:11.18.

• Sierra Hunter — 200 individual medley, second, 2:39.08.

• Che — 500 freestyle, first, 5:46.09; 50 freestyle, second, 26.97.

• Sage Hunter — 100 backstroke, second, 1:12.14.

Other first place finishes include:

• 200 medley relay (Kiara Schmitt, Cole, Murray, Che), 2:03.47

• 1-meter diving, Anne Edwards, 142.05 points

• 100 freestyle, Sage Hunter, 1:03.29

• 200 freestyle relay (Murray, Sierra Hunter, Schmitt, Cole), 1:52.36

• 100 breaststroke: Emma Weller, 1:20.39

• 400 freestyle relay (Schmitt, Maggie Martin, Sierra Hunter, Che), 4:13.96

________

Compiled from team reports. Email scores to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or phone 360-417-3525.

Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News Forks’ Myah Rondeau (center) dives for the ball Tuesday evening at Spartan Gym where Forks defeated Neah Bay 3-1. Also in on the action are Natalie Lausche (11) and Britney Dean.

Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News Forks’ Myah Rondeau (center) dives for the ball Tuesday evening at Spartan Gym where Forks defeated Neah Bay 3-1. Also in on the action are Natalie Lausche (11) and Britney Dean.

Patty Reifenstahl Port Angeles’ Emma Murray swims to a win in the 200 yard individual medley during a win over Klahowya on Tuesday.

Patty Reifenstahl Port Angeles’ Emma Murray swims to a win in the 200 yard individual medley during a win over Klahowya on Tuesday.

More in Sports

Port Angeles Roughriders
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Roughriders get revenge on North Mason

East Jefferson wins seventh straight; Forks win third straight

Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News
Forks’ Bubba Hernandez-Stansbury drives around Chief Leschi’s Kevin Gallo-Paul Thursday night in Forks where The Spartans defeated the Warriors 84-23.
PREP SPORTS: Spartans sharper in win over Chief Leschi

Five Forks players reached double figures in scoring as the… Continue reading

Weekend Sports TV Listings

SPORTS on television Friday 1 p.m. (GOLF PGA Tour, The American Express,… Continue reading

BOYS SWIMMING: Rider swimmers sink North Kitsap

The Port Angeles boys swim team made waves on Wednesday… Continue reading

logo
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Pirates earn road sweep vs. Bellevue

It wasn’t exactly the way a team would like to… Continue reading

East Jefferson's Kaydence Plotner drives for a basket against Charles Wright on Monday. Plotner had 18 points and 12 steals. East Jefferson's John Mercado (2) shoots against Charles Wright. Mercado hit three 3-pointers and scored 16 in a Rivals' victory.  (Photos by Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
EAST JEFFERSON BASKETBALL: Rivals teams sweep Charles Wright

Girls win their fifth in a row in a 72-3 blowout