The Crusaders got a much-needed win on the volleyball court on Tuesday night, as they continue their preparation for their upcoming league campaign.
The defending Redwood League champs (formerly the Little 4) traveled to McKinleyville and came away with a four-sets win.
But they had to battle for it in what was a competitive game, with little to separate the two schools in three of the four sets.
St. Bernard’s won 25-22, 10-25, 25-18, 25-22.
“I was really proud of the way our girls came together and played for each other,” SB head coach Sejay Sarti said. “We finally found that connection as a team, and I was especially impressed with their ability to stay resilient and disciplined during some very high-pressure moments.”
Multiple players stood out in the win.
Sailor Storer was aggressive at the net and made her presence felt defensively, according to the coach, while Scarlett Zerlang led the team from the service line with five aces.
Natalia Williams also impressed with her serving and had four aces, while Aryanna Osborne “did an outstanding job holding down the back row and came up with several important digs and saves when we needed them” the coach added.
Sarti also praised the performance of the Panthers.
“McKinleyville is a well-coached team with strong blocks at the net, and they kept us under pressure throughout the match,” Sarti said.
With the win, the Crusaders improved to 2-7, and they will have a quick turnaround with a trip to play Arcata on Wednesday night.
St. Bernard’s opens league play at Hoopa on Sept. 22.
No stats were immediately available for McKinleyville.
