Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Del Norte Warriors won at McKinleyville on Thursday night.

The Del Norte Warriors continued their impressive run in Big 5 volleyball with their 19th straight conference win on Thursday night.

The two-time defending champions brought a lot of energy to the court at McKinleyville and won in straight sets by a score of 25-9, 25-17, 25-17.

Remarkably, 15 of their 19 straight wins have come in straight sets.

Bliss Blackburn and Tsinte Steinruck continued to impress in the win.

Steinruck finished with a game-high 11 kills and also had three aces, while Blackburn added eight kills and three aces.

Jeana Erler and Melody Brennan each also impressed.

Erler finished with three aces and four digs, while Brennan added four kills.

Carlee Harper also had five digs.

The Del Norte coaches used the opportunity to give some of their younger players some valuable game time and court experience.

“It was really good to get them out there,” coach Petra Lorenzi said. “They had a lot of fun and it’s great getting them some game time experience when we can.”

With the win, the Warriors improved to 3-0 in the Big 5 and remain atop the conference standings.

The Panthers, meanwhile, dropped to 0-2 in the Big 5 but a young team continued to gain some valuable experience.

“The girls were able to make defensive adjustments throughout the match to compensate for Del Norte’s quick offense,” McKinleyville head coach Ashley Washburn said. “We have not seen a team as quick as them yet this season.”

The home student section made its presence felt throughout the game.

“The girls kept their energy and teamwork up the entire time,” the coach added. “Del Norte is a well established and well-rounded program and are so fun to play as we learn so much each time.”

Next up in conference for the Warriors is a home game against Eureka next Thursday, while the Panthers will play at Arcata on Tuesday.

Collins leads the way for the Tigers at Fortuna

Elsewhere in the Big 5 on Thursday night, the Arcata Tigers kept pressure on the conference leaders with a straight sets win at Fortuna.

The Arcata girls won 25-8, 25-13, 25-17.

Quincy Collins led the Tigers with seven kills and four blocks, while Nora Brumbaugh had six kills

Bella Campbell added five digs in the win and Harper Appy had 18 assists and five aces and Alisha Borglund had four kills and a block.

Appy enjoyed an outstanding game serving, starting the night with a 14-1 service streak and she “proceeded to serve up a storm the rest of the match,” according to her head coach Laurie Griffith.

Appy contributed 20 service points.

“Our defense gave us pretty passes, which translated to great sets and hard hits all night,” Griffith said.

With the win, the Tigers improved to 2-1 in the Big 5.

The Huskies, to their credit, battled all the way as a young lineup continues to show signs of progress.

“They played really well and showed amazing teamwork and hustle,” head coach Rene Drakeford said. 

Olivia Scilacci finished with a team-high four kills, while Keira Miles added three kills.

Evalynn Little also impressed and finished with three kills and a pair of blocks, while Jaydyn Dalton had 11 assists and an ace.

The two teams will continue conference play on Tuesday night, when the Tigers entertain McKinleyville and the Huskies travel to play Eureka.