Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

The Eureka Loggers moved clear atop the Big 5 standings with a straight sets win over McKinleyville on Tuesday night, while the Tigers got back to winning ways with a victory over Del Norte in an exciting five-set thriller at Arcata High.

One week after dropping their conference opener at Eureka, the Arcata girls needed a win over rival Del Norte to get back on track and keep alive their hopes of retaining the Big 5 title they won a year ago.

And the players delivered in a pressure-filled situation, rallying twice from a set down to take the victory.

Arcata won 21-25, 25-21, 16-25, 25-21, 15-10 to go to 1-1 in the Big 5 and move into a tie with Del Norte for second in the standings.

It was the second five-set game for the Tigers in what is expected to be an exciting three-horse race for this year’s championship.

The game was played in front a great atmosphere, with both teams battling hard for every point, showcasing just why these two programs have accounted for the past four conference championships.

“From the very first point we were aggressive and amped up,” Arcata head coach Laurie Griffith said. “The girls left everything on the court and played with confidence.”

So too did their opponents.

“It was a battle of some heavy hitters,” Del Norte coach Petra Lorenzi said. “It was a really fun game to play and a really fun game to watch.

“We had a lot of energy. (Arcata) came ready to play and we came ready to play, and there really wasn’t much more you could ask of the players.”

The always dangerous Nora Brumbaugh had an outstanding night as she continues to play a key role for the Tigers.

The senior standout finished with 14 kills and had a big night serving the ball, while teammate Pearl Smith also stepped up in what was her team’s most important game of the season so far, finishing with 12 kills and four aces.

Kyla Kinyon also impressed and added 10 kills and three blocks, while Betty Miles had a breakout game with nine kills, and Karely Ruiz anchored the defense with eight digs.

“Del Norte’s defense was stellar and we had to find ways to score,” Griffith said. “It felt good to get a win and know how good a team we can be.”

Bliss Blackburn continued to set the tone for the visitors, as she has been doing for much of the season so far.

“She’s just a phenomenal athlete,” Lorenzi said of Blackburn, who finished a good all-around night with a game-high 18 kills, as well as 25 digs and four aces. “It was a big night for her and that’s what we expect.

“She’s a great leader out there. She couldn’t have done much more than she did.”

Libero Gianna Antonetti also impressed for the Warriors and had 34 digs while anchoring the back row.

“She passed a phenomenal game and basically controlled the back court for us,” Lorenzi said of the junior standout, who is enjoying a breakout campaign with the team. 

Senior Melody Brennan also was hugely influential for the visitors and finished with seven kills and six blocks.

“Arcata was taking some big swings, the biggest swings we’ve seen all year,” Lorenzi said. “And our defense handled them.”

Bella Arriola also impressed, finishing with nine kills in her best game of the year, as did sophomore Sierra Brennan, who had a strong night defensively.

At Eureka, meanwhile, the Loggers won 25-14, 25-18, 25-6 to go to 2-0 in conference play.

Tiarah Maualuga led the way with 13 kills, two aces and a block, as the Loggers made sure there would be no letdown after last week’s thrilling five-sets win over Arcata in their conference opener.

“Really happy with the improvement they have shown so far and how well they work as a team,” Eureka head coach Stephanie Napoleon said of her players. 

Alena Battle also impressed in the win and had three kills and five blocks, while Ramona Dusel  finished with eight assists, two aces and two kills.

Macy Secor led the Loggers in serving and had 15 aces, to go with five digs and two kills, including 11 straight service points to help her team start the third set 11-0.

Eddy Hale added seven digs, Violla Kingsang had six assists and Kaitlynn Whitehead had two blocks.

The Panthers dropped to 0-1 in conference, but there were some bright spots, including the play of sophomore Leah Han.

The standout outside hitter did a good job of placing the ball, according to head coach Ashley Washburn.

Senior Liana Stumpf also had a good game at libero.

“She was just all over the court and had some incredible digs,” Washburn said. 

Despite their early-season struggles, the Panthers had put together a nice five-game winning streak in the build-up to conference play.

However, sickness throughout the roster did not help with their preparation and the team was forced to cancel practice all of last week.

Still, the head coach likes a lot what she’s seeing from her players.

“This team has been a lot of fun,” Washburn said. “They’re really supportive of one another and their mental toughness has really surprised me.

“Eureka just has a well rounded team.”