JOYCE — Crescent took an early lead in the North Olympic League volleyball race after dominating defending champion Neah Bay 3-0 in the league opener for both teams Thursday.
The Loggers, who won the league crown six years in a row before a senior-dominated Neah Bay team took the title away last year, are back.
“I don’t think we ever went away,” Crescent coach Alex Baker said. “Neah Bay was really good last year.”
The Red Devils had seven seniors a year ago but are senior-less this season.
Crescent (1-0 in league and 6-1 overall), meanwhile, is young, too, with five sophomores on its 10-member varsity team. They only have two seniors.
“Both teams are young, which says a lot about our league,” Baker said. “The league will be strong for years.”
On Thursday, Crescent beat Neah Bay 25-19, 25-23, 25-19.
“We came out tough but a young Neah Bay team fought valiantly,” Baker said. “We kept the pressure up until Neah Bay made mistakes.”
Rashaya Donnell was a perfect 12-of-12 serving with two aces, two kills and an assist for the Loggers, while Jandi Frantz was 18-of-21 with five blocks and two tips.
Mikela Williams was 8-of-9 serving with five blocks, four kills and an ace while setter Rachel Bowen was 10-of-10 serving with 10 assists.
Crescent next plays at the Sequim JV tournament Saturday and won’t play a dual match until next Thursday in league action at Clallam Bay.
Port Angeles 3, Shelton 0
SHELTON — The Roughriders manhandled Shelton in a nonleague match Thursday night.
The Riders, 1-0 in the Olympic League, improved to 4-3 overall while winning 25-20, 25-11, 25-14.
Kiah Jones led the way with 12 kills, six digs and three blocks while Darian Foley had eight kills, four aces and three digs.
Setter Emily Drake added 23 assists and was 18-of-19 in serving while Chloe Johnston had 11 digs.
Shelton beat the Port Angeles JV 2-1 and the Rider C team 2-1.
The Riders next play at the Bellevue Tournament on Saturday and host Olympic in a league match Tuesday.
Sequim 3, North Mason 0
BELFAIR — The Wolves remained undefeated in the Olympic League with the 25-17, 25-15, 25-16 victory Thursday night.
Sequim improved to 2-0 in league and 5-2 overall.
Setter Taylor Balkan was a perfect 17-of-17 serving with four aces and 21 assists, while Haleigh Harrison was strong at the net with 14 kills.
Harrison also was 13-of-13 serving with four aces.
Maddy Zbaraschuk had a great all-around match with 17-of-19 serving, eight aces, 12 digs, seven perfect passes and six kills. Jessica Lauritzen earned five kills with two blocks.
Rylleigh Zbaraschuk scooped up nine digs and had five perfect passes, and Hannah Hudson also had nine digs with three perfect passes.
Sequim next plays at Vashon Island today in a nonleague match.
Olympic 3, Port Townsend 0
SILVERDALE — The short-handed Redskins remained winless after falling to the Trojans 25-10, 25-20, 25-9 in Olympic League action Thursday.
“We played well tonight,” Redskins coach Nettie Witheridge said. “The second game made us all realize how much potential we really do have.”
Britta Janssen dished out five assists and had two digs and one ace to lead the Redskins.
Teammate Trish Reeves added two aces, one block and two kills, while Ashely Goodrich had one ace, two assists, three digs and one kill.
Port Townsend (0-2 in league, 0-6 overall) hosts Klahowya on Tuesday.
Hoquiam 3, Forks 0
FORKS — The Grizzlies eked out a pair of close games on their way to a 25-23, 25-13, 25-21 sweep of the Spartans in SWL-Evergreen Division play on Thursday night.
“[Hoquiam] was strong,” Forks coach Jennifer Daman said. “Their coach actually coached against me when I played in high school. So that was a well-bonded team.”
Casey Williams led the Spartans at the net with eight kills and three stuff blocks.
Whiney Fairbanks and Raven McCann each added three kills, while Jillian Raben had 16 assists.
Forks (3-3 in league) heads to Onalaska on Tuesday for a league match.
Girls Soccer Olympic 3, Port Townsend 2
SILVERDALE — The Trojans scored in the final minute to turn back the challenging Redskins on Thursday night at the Silverdale Stadium.
Irina Lyons put Port Townsend ahead 1-0 in the 30th minute on an assist by Jewel Johnson.
Lyons put the Redskins ahead 2-1 with a score in the 43rd minute.
Caroline Dowdle had a superb game in the goal for Port Townsend, coach Colin Foden said.
Olympic beat the Redskin JV team 8-0.
Port Townsend, now 1-1 in Olympic League action and 6-3 overall, will host Klahowya at Memorial Field on Tuesday.
North Mason 2, Sequim 0
BELFAIR — The Bulldogs scored a goal in each half to hold off a game Wolves team in Olympic League action Thursday.
“We played so much better,” Sequim coach Molly McAleer said. “Lots and lots of improvement.
“It was just a couple of unlucky goals against us, and we just couldn’t get [the ball] in [the net].”
Sequim (0-2 in league) gets a bye Tuesday before hosting North Kitsap in another Olympic League match next Thursday.
Girls Swimming Port Angeles 109, Olympic 73
PORT ANGELES — Sophomore Tracie Macias qualified for district in two more events to become the first swimmer in coach Rich Butler’s tenure to qualify for district in all eight individual events.
“That’s an amazing accomplishment any time, but particularly this early in the season,” Butler said.
“Every time she has dove off the blocks in an individual event it’s been a new event. Every time she has touched the wall it resulted in a district qualifying time.”
Macias qualified for district in the 50-yard freestyle in 26.64 seconds and the 100 breaststroke in 1:20.10. Macias also won both events.
Freshman Ashlee Reid also qualified for district in two events. She took third and qualified in the 500 free in 6:21.32 and the 200 individual medley in 2:37.58.
The Riders won half the events and outscored the Trojans in seven of the 12 events.
Next, the Riders swim against archrival Sequim at SARC on Thursday.
Port Townsend 91, Sequim 69
PORT TOWNSEND — The Redskins, with only eight swimmers, won nine of the 11 events in an Olympic League meet Thursday.
Darby Flanagan and Averi Richert were double winners for Port Townsend.
Flanagan won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:47.15 and the 500 free in 4:47.2, while Richert won the 200 individual medley in 2:02.09 and the 100 backstroke B in 1:05.19.
Also winning individual events for the Redskins were Renada Walcome in the 100 free and Mazy Braden in the 100 back A race.
The Redskins also won the 200 medley relay, and the 200 free and 400 free relays.
Winning for Sequim were Rachel Hardy in the 50 free in 21.32 seconds and Gianna Venetti in the 100 butterfly in 53.18 seconds.
