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With a bye in conference play this week, the Arcata Tigers made the short trek to St. Bernard’s to take on the Crusaders in a non-conference volleyball match on Wednesday.

And the visitors took care of business with a straight-sets win, 25-14, 25-13, 25-23.

But they had to battle to secure the win in a tight third set, with the Crusaders pushing them all the way.

Quincy Collins led the Arcata girls with nine kills, while teammate Nora Brumbaugh had six kills and sophomore Kyla Kinyon five.

Another sophomore, Eli Kanzler, added a team-high seven digs, while Harper Appy continued to impress with 26 assists.

There were also several standouts for the Crusaders, including Jocelyn Sundberg, who had seven kills and seven digs and impressed her head coach with her blocking, along with Ella Hart and Natalie McLaughlin.

“Our athletes came into it with great attitudes and the desire to win,” St. Bernard’s head coach Rachel Evans said. “We really fought the good fight and made adjustments throughout the evening.”

Hart also finished with seven digs and three assists, while Kayla Maples had three kills and Kinsey Lemley had two assists.

Bailee White also had a good night, stepping into a new role for the Crusaders and playing libero.

And she rose to the challenge, finishing with 20 successful serve receives and five digs.

“It is not her usual role, but she did an excellent job,” Evan said.

The Crusaders will be back in action on Thursday night when they travel to play South Fork in a Little 5 matchup.

The Tigers return will resume Big 5 play next Tuesday at Eureka.

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