Submitted photo – The Arcata seniors were honored before Tuesday’s game against Fortuna.

The Arcata Tigers and Del Norte Warriors inched closer to a shared conference championship in Big 5 volleyball on senior night for both schools on Tuesday.

The Tigers defeated Fortuna 25-11, 25-11, 25-22 and Del Norte defeated McKinleyville 25-6, 25-14, 25-23, as both teams improved to 6-1 in the Big 5 with one game remaining each.

If both schools win their final conference games, as expected, they will share this year’s championship.

Arcata closes out the Big 5 at McKinleyville on Thursday night and Del Norte plays at Eureka next Tuesday.

Both teams honored their seniors before Tuesday’s wins.

For Arcata, that influential group included four-year varsity player Quincy Collins, as well as Addie Day, Bella Campbell and Alisha Borglund.

All four players wil be missed, according to head coach Laurie Griffith.

“This year’s seniors have left a huge impact on this program,” Griffith said of the group, each of whom played a huge role in last week’s pivotal win over Del Norte. “We will miss Bella’s excellent leadership, Addie’s superior serving, Alisha’s quiet determination and Quincy’s crazy skills.”

Collins finished her final regular-season home game with seven kills, while Campbell “led the back row with some excellent defense and serving,” according to Griffith.

Junior Harper Appy also had a big night in Tuesday’s win and finished with 31 assists, 18 service points and four aces, while Pearl Harper had one of her best games of the season and finished with a season-high 13 kills and three aces.

The Warriors, meanwhile, quickly put their disappointing loss at Arcata last week behind them with a straight-sets win over McKinleyville.

Before the game, the team celebrated their five seniors, each of whom has been hugely influential in the program’s recent dominance as they close in on a third straight Big 5 title.

File photo

Last season, this talented group played a huge role in a conference campaign that saw the team not drop a single set on the way to the title.

This year’s senior class includes Carlee Harper, Ariana Stansbury, Tsinte Steinruck, Lauren Stutes and Khloe Smith.

Harper, Stansbruy, Steinruck and Stutes all have been big contributors on the team and have been a driving force in the Warriors’ championship chase.

Smith has missed the season through injury but has been an ever-present and played a key role in helping the team from the sideline.

Coach Petra Lorenzi described her as “100 percent part of the team.”

“She would have been a major piece of our starting lineup this year,” Lorenzi said. “But she hasn’t missed a practice and has been a real piece of the leadership of this year’s team.”

Steinruck finished with a game-high 11 kills in Tuesday’s win, and also had eight digs and a pair of aces, while Stutes added eight kills and three aces.

Harper, meanwhile, finished with 12 digs and five aces and junior Bliss Blackburn added six kills, six digs and five aces.