It’s never surprising to see the Arcata Tigers in contention for a league title on the volleyball court.
But doing so with such a young team is impressive.
On Tuesday night, head coach Laurie Griffith and her players honored a small senior class of two — Kyla Kinyon and Eli Kanzler — each of whom is playing a key role for the team this fall, before taking care of business with a must-have win over Del Norte.
The Tigers won in four sets, 25-21, 25-18, 20-25, 25-19, completing the league sweep over the Warriors.
With the win, they keep the pressure on league-leading Eureka, improving to 5-1 with two games remaining, at Fortuna on Thursday and at McKinleyville next Tuesday.
The Loggers, who improved to 6-1 in league play with a straight sets victory over McKinleyville on Tuesday, have one game remaining, against Fortuna next Tuesday.
While both league contenders still have to take care of business in their final games, it seems unlikely either will lose over the next week, which would mean a shared title.
The Arcata girls rose to the challenge against Del Norte, a team that pushed them all the way in a five-sets match in Crescent City earlier in league play.
And the seniors both played key roles in the win, much as they have been doing all season.
“Kyla and Eli stepped up their senior leadership roles and kept the team focused,” Griffith said. “Kyla’s net play and Eli’s defense were also stellar.”
A talented group of juniors also impressed in the win.
Betty Miles finished with a team-high 12 kills, while Colby Eisner had 10 kills and four blocks and Ellie White added 10 kills.
Another junior, Karely Ruiz, also had a good night.
“Karely Ruiz was all over the court chasing down balls and putting up great sets for her hitters,” Griffith said.
A couple of the team’s younger players contributed in other ways.
Freshman Lotus Low, who has wasted no time establishing herself as a force at the varsity level, had three aces and eight digs, while sophomore Lily D’Usseau, who is also enjoying a big season with the team, had a big game at the service line and on defense.
D’Usseau finished with 15 digs.
No stats were available for Del Norte, which dropped to 3-4 in league.
