Soldotna’s Nicole Dickinson, Kiara Forkner, Hallie Fischer and Katelyn Morrison react to the block of Homer’s Nevaeh Diaz on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna’s Nicole Dickinson, Kiara Forkner, Hallie Fischer and Katelyn Morrison react to the block of Homer’s Nevaeh Diaz on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Volleyball roundup: Soldotna, Kenai notch victories

A heart to heart team meeting is one thing. Winning a five-set match, and saving two match points in the process, is quite another.

The host Soldotna volleyball team notched its first nontournament victory Tuesday, outlasting Homer 23-25, 25-13, 25-12, 22-25 and 18-16 in nonconference play. The Stars are now 1-5 in nontournament play, while the Mariners are 1-2.

After losing a match to Nikiski and two matches to Wasilla in the past week, Soldotna head coach Luke Baumer called a team meeting and addressed the tension he was seeing on the court.

“You’ve got six players in a 30 by 30 square,” Baumer said. “If you don’t talk and you don’t have good chemistry, forget it, you’re going to lose all the time.

“And so we had a really, really big, long group discussion. And you noticed the difference today.”

Baumer said everybody on the team elevated their game Tuesday.

“When it comes down to a game like that, you’ve got to rely on everybody on your team,” he said.

Setter Nicole Dickinson had 40 assists, which Baumer said is the most he’s seen on his team in his four years as head coach. He said Karley Johnson had the best night of her varsity career with 11 kills, while Clare Henry had a career-high 16 digs to go with six aces. Katelyn Morrison soared to 17 kills.

But it almost wasn’t enough.

Homer led 14-13 in Game 5, but some swift ball movement set up a kill by Johnson to tie the score. The Mariners then led 15-14, but Homer committed a hitting error to tie it again. With SoHi on match point at 16-15, Gracie Miotke had one of her seven kills to tie the score.

At 17-16, Morrison finally ended the match with a kill.

Homer is a Class 3A school, while the Stars play at Class 4A, but Baumer said the match was great for his team.

“These guys aren’t just competitive for 3A,” Baumer said. “They’re competitive everywhere.”

Homer coach Stephanie Carroll also said she appreciates the local opportunities to get better. SoHi lost to Nikiski on Thursday, then Homer beat the Bulldogs on Saturday before losing to the Stars on Tuesday.

“The peninsula is tough,” Carroll said. “That helps you get ready for fighting it out at the end to see who’s gonna get to go to state. If you don’t get beat, sometimes you don’t know what to work on and you don’t get better.”

Carroll knows what her team has to do better.

“Our serving was atrocious,” she said. “We had a stretch where we had some girls sick. We kind of have not been serving as much in practice as we should.”

In Game 5, Homer missed four serves, while the Stars did not miss any.

Baumer agreed the serving was key. He said Dickinson, Henry, Morrison, Abygale Shaeffer and Sadie Lane all have tough serves.

Brooke Shafer had 22 assists, six aces and four kills for the Mariners, while Izzy Dye had 13 kills, Nevaeh Diaz had six kills and Channing Lowney had two kills and two aces.

Kenai 3, Seward 0

The Kardinals went on the road to improve to 2-0 in the Southcentral Conference and 4-0 in nontournament play, while Seward drops to 0-1 and 0-1.

The scores were 25-18, 25-21 and 27-25.

Jorgi Phillips had 26 assists and two aces for the Kards, while Emma Beck had 22 digs and 14 kills, Kim Chanley had 14 digs, Cali Holmes had 12 kills and Camilla Gonzalez had three aces.

Soldotna’s Katelyn Morrison attacks on Homer’s Alivia Fefelov and Goldie Hill on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna’s Katelyn Morrison attacks on Homer’s Alivia Fefelov and Goldie Hill on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

More in Sports

Cook Inlet Academy sophomore Ian McGarry battles for a rebound against Birchwood Christian on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Cook Inlet Academy just outside of Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
CIA’s Ian McGarry gets 1A boys Player of Year

Cook Inlet Academy sophomore Ian McGarry was named the Class 1A boys… Continue reading

The Kenai Central cheerleading team. Back row, left to right: Caitlyn Martin, Sylvia McGraw, Ayla Tallent, Sarah Baisden, Genesis Trevino, Malena Grieme, Maya Montague, Taya Swick and Cali Holmes. Front row, left to right: Ella Romero, Brooklynn Reed and Makenize Harden. (Photo provided)
Kenai cheerleaders win 3rd straight state title

The Kenai Central cheerleading squad won its third straight Division II March… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears goalie Nils Wallstrom celebrates winning a shootout over the Fairbanks Ice Dogs on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Brown Bears sweep Ice Dogs, move into 3rd place

The Kenai River Brown Bears earned a two-game sweep over the Fairbanks… Continue reading

tease
Bears top Dogs, move into 4th place

The Kenai River Brown Bears defeated the Fairbanks Ice Dogs 4-3 on… Continue reading

tease
Kenai girls take 4th, Kenai boys take 6th at state

The Kenai Central girls basketball team took fourth place and the Kardinals… Continue reading

Chad Anderson of Kasilof and Allie Ostrander guide Everett Anderson, 3, to the finish line Wednesday, July 19, 2017, at the Salmon Run Series at Tsalteshi Trails. Getting the free ride on Chad’s shoulders is Ben Anderson, 2. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Ostrander, Gemmell make Alaska High School Hall of Fame

Allie Ostrander, a 2015 graduate of Kenai Central High School, and Joshua… Continue reading

Kenai Central High School esports players participate in a practice match of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ahead of a scheduled game at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Esports Week 6: Nikiski is 1st local team to earn playoff spot

Each of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s esports teams had a… Continue reading

tease
Kenai girls, boys move to 4th-place games

The Kenai girls and boys basketball teams both notched victories Friday at… Continue reading

tease
Bears host Ice Dogs, renew fight for playoff spot

The Kenai River Brown Bears begin a two-game series with the Fairbanks… Continue reading

Most Read