Wasilla tops SoHi to defend Shayna Pritchard tourney win

Published 6:14 am Sunday, August 30, 2015

The Wasilla Warriors defended their crown at the Shayna Pritchard Memorial volleyball tournament Friday and Saturday at Nikiski High School with a 2-1 victory over Soldotna in the championship game.

Wasilla topped SoHi with scores of 25-23, 10-25 and notched a clutch 16-14 win to emerge victorious.

Kenai took third place in the tournament with a 2-0 win over host Nikiski with game scores of 25-15 and 25-14.

Kenai junior Abby Beck was awarded tournament MVP. The All-Tournament team included Sylvia Tuisalua, Lindsey Wong and Makenna Rosin from Soldotna, Alli Steinbeck from Kenai and Ayla Pitt and Brittany Perry from Nikiski.

Friday pool play competition resulted in Soldotna and Kenai both earning quarterfinal byes on Saturday. In the quarterfinal round, Nikiski beat Seward 25-20 and 25-13, while Wasilla topped Bethel 25-18 and 25-13.

SoHi then defeated Nikiski 25-21 and 25-17 in the semifinal round, while Wasilla beat Kenai 25-19 and 25-20, setting up the title match between the Stars and Warriors.

After its loss, Bethel went on to claim fifth-place honors with a 25-22, 22-25, 15-13 win over Seward.

The tournament is organized annually to honor the memory of Shayna Pritchard, a former Nikiski resident that died in 2007 at the age of 18.