PORT ANGELES — In a match that was as close as can be, Port Angeles volleyball earned its first win over rival Sequim since Oct. 15, 2015 with a 3-2 triumph over the Wolves.
The Roughriders prevailed in a five-set marathon 23-25, 25-20, 25-19, 23-25, 15-13 to snap a six-match losing streak to Sequim.
It also was the first win for new Port Angeles head coach Jennifer Reynolds over her former prep coach Jennie Webber-Heilman.
“They were very excited,” Reynolds said. “It was a true testament to our mental toughness. We have to be prepared to go five games no matter what. So we are focusing on that mindset, have to keep that steady pace and be prepared to play five games.”
Ava Brenkman put up numbers in the middle for the Riders, totaling 11 kills with three stuff blocks.
“Ava in the middle, it’s very inspiring,” Reynolds said. “She’s a team captain, holding down the middle spot and keeping them focused.”
Outside hitter and co-captain Kennedy Bruch posted 16 kills with 10 digs for Port Angeles.
“Her leadership is incredible and she plays with such heart it’s contagious,” Reynolds said. “If there is an opportunity she can take advantage of it.”
Setter Camille Stensgard had an outstanding 41 assists, served 25 of 25 with five aces and added eight digs.
“She’s really coming into her own and building those relationships with her hitters,” Reynolds said of Stensgard.
“We call it making appointments, talking to hitters before we go on the attack.”
Zoe Smithson tallied seven kills and served a perfect 13 of 13 with 3 blocks.
Freshman libero Lily Halberg posted 29 digs, sophomore Emi Halberg added five kills, went 17 of 18 on serve with three aces and had 19 digs.
Port Angeles (1-0) visits Kingston on Tuesday. Sequim (0-1) hosts Bremerton on Tuesday.
Forks 3, Neah Bay 2
FORKS — The Spartans started strong but let the Red Devils back in it before triumphing late.
Forks took the five-set thriller 25-19, 25-17, 22-25, 10-25, 15-12.
“The game was definitely an eye opener on what we needed to work on,” Spartans senior Rian Peters said.
“Although we won the first two games, I knew deep down Neah Bay has always been scrappy so we couldn’t relax. We eventually did and I think that’s why we didn’t win the third.”
Peters said this was a pattern last season, so identifying it and fixing it going forward is key.
“We did this last season, we got comfortable and settled and ended up losing the third and maybe fourth games,” Peters said. “I’m glad we’re seeing this now so we can fix it and keep excelling. I’m excited for the season and can’t wait to see how far we grow as individual players and team. “
Chloe Leverington led the way with 12 kills and a block for Forks. Jayden Olson added 11 kills and Peters 10 kills and four aces for the Spartans.
Freshman Kyra Neel was impressive with 10 kills and four blocks.
Natalie Lausche added 10 kills, five aces and nine assists.
Emily Adams added 34 assists and Savannah Jinneman totaled five kills and a pair of blocks.
Girls Swimming
Port Angeles 104, Klahowya 60
SEQUIM — The Port Angeles girls swim team bounced back with a 104-60 win over Klahowya, winning nine out of 11 races.
Kenzie Johnson, Emma Murray and Mackenzie DuBois all won two individual events and contributed to a pair of relay victories at Thursday’s meet.
Johnson won the 200-yard freestyle in 2 minutes, 14.66 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 1:00.20. Murray won the 100 butterfly in 1:09.20 and the 200 individual medley in 2:33.64.
DuBois had an interesting meet, showing her versatility by winning a sprint and a long-distance event. She won the 50 freestyle in 26.82 seconds and the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:36.21, winning this event by nearly a full minute.
The Port Angeles 200 medley relay team of Kiara Schmitt, Murray, DuBois and Sage Hunter won with a time of 2:05.03 and the 400 relay team of DuBois, Johnson, Adriana McClain and Schmitt won with a time of 4:07.82.
Rachel Cooper also won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:25.01.
The 200 relay team of Murray, Johnson, Anne Edwards and McClain finished second by just 0.05 of a second with a time of 1:54.08.
Finishing second in their races were:
200 freestyle — McClain, 2:23.13
50 freestyle — Schmitt, 27.68.
100 backstroke — Schmitt, 1:11.05.
100 breaststroke — Fern Knobel, 1:29,62.
400 freestyle relay (Hunter, Elise Mann, Hana Medgin, Edwards), 4:07.82.
Port Angeles is now 1-1 on the season in the Olympic League, with the loss coming against defending state champion North Kitsap.
The Port Angeles (1-1) swim team competed Saturday at the Spartan Relays at Bainbridge and will next swim against Sequim (2-0) at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Sequim YMCA.
Sequim 101, Kingston 69
KINGSTON — The Sequim girls remain unbeaten in league with a 101-69 win over Kingston,
Sydney Swanson won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:29.21 as the Wolves went one-two-three in this race. Eislynn Flood took second with a time of 2:36.90 and Morgan Cairon took third at 2:41.88.
Swanson also won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:23.43 and her teammate Melanie Bryne came in second.
Francesca Bargis won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:17.10, which coach Sarah Thorson called “a phenomenal” race. Freshman Julia Jeffers took third in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:39.63.
The 200 medley relay team (Francesca Bargis, Swanson, Sundin and Petra Bernsten (2:13.59) won its event with a time of 2:13.59, while the 200 free relay team (also Bargis, Swanson, Sundin and Bernsten) won with a time of 2:02.90 and qualified for district.
In other races
50 freestyle — Lauren Sundin, second, 29.30; Aleah Chen, third 31.12.
100 butterfly — Sundin, second, 1:19.33; Cairon, third, 1:30.06.
500 freestyle — Flood, second, 7:06.02; Claire Cronin, third, 7:13.37.
400 freestyle relay (Riley Hough, Chen, Cronin, Flood) — 5:10.16.
Sequim (2-0) will next compete against Port Angeles (1-1) at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Sequim YMCA.
Boys tennis
Port Angeles 4, Bremerton 3
BREMERTON — The Port Angeles tennis boys moved to 2-0 on the season with a close 4-3 win over Bremerton.
“This match really could have gone either way, but our guys played well on the big points and I think we learned a lot,” said coach Brian Gunderson.
The match came down to the doubles’ matches, in which the Roughriders won all four matches. The Riders’ three singles’ players, Wyatt Hall, Reef Gelder and Caleb Flodstrom all lost, though Gelder and Flodstrom’s matches were very close.
Gelder lost 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 while Flodstrom lost 7-6, 7-6.
The doubles’ team had some close matches, too. Port Angeles’ Milo Whitman and Dru Clark won 7-6, 6-4, Michael Soule and Seth Woods won 6-0, 7-5, Tanner Price and Henry Shaw won 6-3, 6-4 and Damon Gunderson and Landon Seibel won 7-5, 6-3.
Gunderson singled out the Whitman and Clark tandem for coming from behind.
“Milo and Dru dug themselves a hole in both sets, but they found a way to get back into them and won a big match at No. 1 [doubles] for us,” he said.
The Riders next play Klahowya at 4 p.m. Monday at home, weather permitting.
Michael Dashiell/Olympic Peninsula News Group Port Angeles volleyball players celebrate winning a point during the Roughriders’ 3-2 win over Sequim on Thursday.
