SPORTS: Crescent shades Neah Bay in volleyball as teams prepare for tri-district play; Forks loses close girls soccer game

JOYCE — Crescent’s volleyball team came from behind to beat spirited Neah Bay in a barn-burner of their final regular-season match Thursday.

This was a tune-up for tri-district play because the Loggers (6-0, 12-1) had already won the North Olympic League championship and the Red Devils (2-4, 4-6) were league runners-up.

Now the two teams head to the all-day tri-district tournament at Crescent on Wednesday.

The Red Devils open tourney play in a loser-out pigtail against Highland Christian at 8 a.m. while the Loggers play their first match at 11:45 a.m.

“I think we will open against Lummi,” Crescent coach Alex Baker said.

The double-elimination tourney will last until about 6 p.m., Baker said.

Crescent wins 3-1

In Thursday’s match, the Loggers held off the Red Devils 3-1 after losing the first game and being down 22-16 in the second game.

“I thought Neah Bay was going to hand us our hat,” Baker said.

Crescent’s Bonnie Hazelett stepped up to the service line with the Loggers down 22-16 in the second game and served nine straight points, including three aces, as Crescent tied it up 1-1 with a 25-22 win.

“Bonnie ignited a spark in us and the Loggers were not going to be denied,” Baker said.

Crescent won 23-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-20.

“We were just making errors,” Neah Bay coach Sharon Kanichy said about the later games.

“We weren’t able to shake it off and get back in the match. We will need to do that at tri-districts.”

Hazelett ended up serving 15 of 17 with four aces. She added eight kills at the net.

Catherine Youngman served 24 of 27 with five aces while Shannon Williams was awesome in the front row for Crescent with 11 blocks, five kills and two tips.

Jandi Frantz added seven blocks and six kills for the Loggers.

Crescent’s three seniors were honored during senior night. Sara Moore, setter Rachel Bowen and Jessica Criss are the seniors.

Moore was 9 of 9 serving with six kills and two assists while Bowen also was 9 of 9 serving with 24 assists, three tips and an ace.

In limited minutes, Criss was 1 of 1 serving.

Rebecca Thompson led the Red Devils with eight kills and five aces while Brandy Swan added four kills and and ace.

Kaela Tyler earned three kills and had a block for Neah Bay while Courtney Winck put down two kills, had two blocks and an ace.

Holly Greene served three aces while Hailey Greene had one ace.

Girls Soccer

Ocosta 4, Forks 1

WESTPORT — The youthful Spartans, who are winless on the year, ended the season a lot better than they started it.

“We have shown great improvement at the end of the season,” coach Andrew Peterson said.

“That will be good for us next year.”

Forks was losing games 10-0, 11-0 and 9-0 in the beginning of the year.

But the Spartans lost just 3-0 to Hoquiam on Tuesday and lost by three to Ocosta on Thursday in their final SWL-Evergreen Division games of the season.

Ocosta took a 2-0 lead at halftime.

Leena Karpinnen scored 26 minutes into the second half for Forks.