Volleyball team takes second place in regionals

The regional tournament in Metlakatla last week was hard-fought, according to high school volleyball coach Jessica Whitaker. The Wrangell Lady Wolves played against teams from Skagway, Petersburg, Metlakatla, Klawock, and Craig. The team played hard, Whitaker said, and despite challenging games and some setbacks the team was able to claim second place, and will be advancing to State.

Wrangell played against Skagway first on Thursday, Nov. 15. The Lady Wolves took three victories easily. However, on Friday, they lost to Petersburg. Whitaker said that the team had a rough time setting the ball and communicating with each other in Friday's games, and the team was sent down to the loser's bracket.

After being bumped to that bracket, the Lady Wolves played against Metlakatla. The first game was hard fought, but Wrangell was able to win 25-22. Wrangell also won the next two games against Metlakatla.

On Saturday, Wrangell went up against Klawock first. It was a struggle for them, at first, and they lost two games. However, during a timeout in the third game, Whitaker said she was able to give the team a pep talk and make sure they were truly playing to their full potential. The Lady Wolves were able to pull ahead and take a hard-earned win at 26-24. They also took another two wins against Klawock after that to take a final victory over them. After Klawock, Wrangell faced off against Petersburg again. They took three wins in a row against them.

With their win against Petersburg, the last game of the tournament came down to them and Craig High School. Craig won the first game, 20-25, but the Lady Wolves were able to take three subsequent wins in a row after that. Then it came down to the final "If Game." The "If Game," Whitaker explained, was only played if one team goes undefeated through the entire tournament. The first team to get 30 points in the "If Game" wins. It was a tough game, but Whitaker said the Lady Wolves ran out of steam by this point, having played so many games in a row. Craig was able to claim victory, and first place in Regionals.

Several players won individual awards, as well. Senior player Helen Decker won the All Academic Award. Decker, Ashley Allen, and Kaylyn Easterly won All Conference. Kendra Meissner and Tasha Massin won the Sportsmanship Award.

Whitaker said she was very proud of her team's performance in Regionals, as well as through the whole season. She said that if there was anything they needed to work on for the future, it would be mental toughness. She said that the team had skills and the physical requirements for volleyball covered. Mental fortitude was what they would be focusing on as they head to State and future seasons. The state tournament will take place in Anchorage from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. After State, an alumni game will be held on Dec. 26.