The Ferndale Wildcats avenged their only league loss with a straight sets win at Hoopa on Thursday night to keep their championship ambitions well on track.
The Redwood League leading Cats won a hard-fought matchup in straight sets, 25-23, 25-23, 28-26, with the minimum separating the two schools in all three sets.
It was the third straight league win for the Cats, who have responded nicely to a home loss to the Warriors in late September and remain atop the league standings with a record of 5-1.
Also in action on Thursday night, St. Bernard’s won at South Fork in straight sets.
With their victory, the Crusaders improved to 4-2 in league play and they remain right on the Cats’ heels with three games remaining each, including a pivotal showdown between the two schools at St. Bernard’s next Thursday.
According to Ferndale head coach SK Montiel Clark, it was a team effort on Thursday as the Cats continue to grow as a unit.
“I did not feel that one player was the star of the show last night,” she said. “But instead we were a team that remained strong and consistent together.”
The Warriors battled hard in all three sets but came up just short in each.
“Hoopa brought a great game against us and had really solid defense that challenged us at every angle,” the Ferndale coach added.
Several players stepped up for the Wildcats, including junior middle blocker Ki Giacomini, who is enjoying a good year with the team.
Giacomini led the way on offense with 10 kills, while senior libero Fallon Bullan led the way defensively and “kept our team in system with her consistent service reception,” according to the coach.
Versatile freshman Kenadi Cook also made her presence felt as she continues to impress in her first season of high school ball.
“(She) has remained open to any position I have put her in and is able to sub into the game and really turn things around for the team,” the Ferndale coach said. “We needed her in a critical moment last night to come in and just be consistent, and she absolutely delivered.”
The Warriors dropped to 3-3 in league play and all but saw any hopes of a league championship slip away.
Despite the loss, however, there were multiple standouts for Hoopa, including Karmen Whitecrane and Vuunsip E-Kor, who each finished with a team-high seven kills.
Violet King also impressed as she continues to make her presence felt at the net, finishing with five blocks, while Luella Cosce and Naress Crawford each had a team-best 10 digs and BellaAnn King finished with 21 assists.
As the season progresses, the Wildcats are building chemistry on the court, both in their play and their approach to the games.
“The strength of this team is a direct result of us working on building a strong mentality every time we step on the court,” the Ferndale coach said. “We don’t fall apart any more when things get tough, we work hard until we finish.”
Several players also stepped up for the Crusaders in their win over South Fork, including Serafina Morgan, who has a good night on the back row and at the service line.
According to head coach Sejay Cyphers, it was a team effort.
“Our entire team touched the floor last night and it’s always fun when that happens,” she said.
Lulu Vainuku also impressed at the service line and had five aces in the win.
