Nikiski, SoHi volleyball set to clash
Published 7:32 am Tuesday, October 3, 2017
The Nikiski and Soldotna volleyball teams play at different classes and in different conferences, but nevertheless the Bulldogs and Stars will meet in the first of two high-profile matches tonight at Nikiski at 5 p.m.
The Bulldogs, who play at the Class 3A level, enter the match at 9-0 overall in nontournament play, while the Stars, who play at Class 4A, are 7-2 overall.
Tonight will be senior night for the Bulldogs, and Nikiski athletic director Dylan Hooper will try and break the world record for the most weight held by a beard.
The Stars are just the type of team Nikiski will have to defeat if the Bulldogs want to make another deep run at Class 3A state, where they were runner-up last season.
“It should be exciting,” Nikiski coach Stacey Segura said. “I hope all of the stuff doesn’t distract us.”
Though they play in a class for smaller schools, the Bulldogs were able to top the Stars 27-26 in a game in pool play at the West Spiketacular on Sept. 15.
“My kids will be ready,” Soldotna coach Sheila Kupferschmid said. “They know they are playing a very good Nikiski team. We are the underdogs. They were the runner-up at state and they beat us at the West Spike.”
Oct. 17, the two squads will meet again at Soldotna in a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Fund of the Central Peninsula Health Foundation. The fundraising activities will include a dessert auction at the match, a serve-a-thon in practice the next day and a class competition for raising funds.
