A young Arcata Tigers volleyball team will be hoping to make some noise in this year’s Pacific League, as they get set to begin league play next week.
On Tuesday night, the Arcata girls continued their preparation for league play with a straight sets win at Fortuna.
And head coach Laurie Griffith believes her team is showing signs of improvement every week.
“We have a lot of matches under our belt now and the girls are playing really well together,” the longtime coach said. “They are really excited to start league.”
After winning the league title two years ago, the Tigers placed second to Eureka in 2025, finishing just one win behind their rivals.
Whether or not they can reclaim the league crown this year remains to be seen, but few programs in the area have been as consistently competitive as the Tigers in recent years and their league rivals won’t underestimate them.
The players certainly have been putting in a lot of work in the lead up to league, including hosting their own tournament over the weekend and traveling to Fortuna on Tuesday.
They came away with a 25-11, 25-21, 25-22 win.
Betty Miles had a big night in the win, finishing with 15 kills, while teammate Kyla Kinyon also impressed, finishing with 10 kills and three blocks.
Kinyon is one of just two seniors on a roster of 13, along with defensive specialist Eli Kanzler, and both of the experienced players have been making an impact.
On Tuesday Kanzler had a team-best 11 digs and three aces.
Some of the younger players have also been making their presence felt, including sophomore Trinity Circosta, who had five digs and three aces against Fortuna, as well as freshman Lotus Low, who added eight digs and three aces.
Over the weekend, the team hosted its annual pre-league tournament, which was won by Orland.
The Tigers posted wins over Brookings and Willits and dropped games against Yreka and league Eureka.
Arcata is now 8-9 on the season.
The Tigers will have a bye on the opening night of league play on Thursday, before beginning their league schedule at home against Eureka on Tuesday.
This weekend the Tigers will host their JV tournament with 16 teams in the field, including all the local programs.
