Soldotna junior Serena Foglia (15) sends a shot at Wasilla’s Cheyenne Green (16) Thursday at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna junior Serena Foglia (15) sends a shot at Wasilla’s Cheyenne Green (16) Thursday at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Wasilla volleyball prevails in 5 games over SoHi

Big play after big play punctuated the action Thursday night inside the Soldotna High School gym as the SoHi volleyball team lost in agonizing fashion to the Wasilla Warriors in a tightly contested Northern Lights Conference battle.

Good thing they have a rematch set for Saturday.

The Warriors prevailed in the five-set epic with winning scores of 25-20, 21-25, 27-25, 12-25 and 16-14, keeping their undefeated conference season alive at 5-0. The Stars dropped to 5-2 in conference play.

“We’re looking forward to Saturday,” said Soldotna head coach Sheila Kupferschmid. “It’s a big match for us and my kids will be ready.”

The two programs meet again Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at SoHi.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Many momentum-changing points were won in the battle at the net, which became a power war between Wasilla’s one-two punch of senior middle hitter Cheyenne Green and senior outside Aleks Kvalheim, and the SoHi trio of outside hitter Ituau Tuisaula and middle hitters Bailey Leach and Aliann Schmidt. Tuisaula finished with 10 kills, Leach had 12 and Schmidt had eight.

Kupferschmid praised the efforts of her hitters — including Schmidt, who Kupferschmid said had one the best games of her prep career — but said Wasilla was a tad more consistent on the floor.

“We’re disappointed to lose on our home floor, Wasilla put up a good fight,” she said. “There were times they broke down, but they were more consistent that last set.”

Schmidt added eight aces, eight blocks and 18 points won, and Kupferschmid also said setter Holleigh Jaime played well, along with Carsen Brown, who provided 41 assists.

Wasilla took a 2-1 match lead but couldn’t come close to clinching the night as SoHi pummeled the Warriors in the fourth set 25-12 to force a winner-take-all set. Warriors head coach Katie Oxspring said after that dud, her team was able to close out with laser focus on defense.

“We lost that fourth game terribly,” Oxspring said. “We gave them all 25 points. We were not ready to play.

“But in Game 5 they were fighting for every point and they eliminated errors. We just left the floor happy with the results.”

Prior to the fifth set, the Stars avoided elimination with a dominating fourth set. SoHi scored the first seven points en route to an 8-1 lead before Wasilla called timeout, thanks to a suffocating block set by Schmidt, Brittani Blossom and Leach.

Wasilla rallied back with six straight points to close the gap to 8-7 as SoHi made mistakes, but the momentum swung again in SoHi’s favor as Schmidt took control for a second time, helping SoHi to a 15-7 lead with seven unanswered points.

Leach closed out the set win with an array of kill points, and junior Serena Foglia capped it with a serving ace to force a fifth set.

Tuisaula got the party started in the final game with a pair of kills, then teamed up with Schmidt to put the Stars ahead 11-10.

That would be the last lead they held, however, as three straight hitting errors by SoHi gave Wasilla the lead at 13-11. The Warriors committed two mistakes of their own to help SoHi tie it at 13 apiece.

Wasilla had two match point opportunities, first on a missed serve by Schmidt, then on a hitting point from Kvalheim. A point won from the outside by Tuisaula staved off the Warriors once, but Wasilla secured the match win when a ball sent by setter Kaitlyn Cook was not returned by the Stars.

“It was very intense, and SoHi’s a really good team,” Oxspring said.

Soldotna senior Carsen Brown (2) sets up a shot Thursday against Wasilla at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna senior Carsen Brown (2) sets up a shot Thursday against Wasilla at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna senior Carsen Brown and junior Bailey Leach (12) put up a block on Wasilla’s Aleks Kvalheim (11) Thursday at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna senior Carsen Brown and junior Bailey Leach (12) put up a block on Wasilla’s Aleks Kvalheim (11) Thursday at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

More in Sports

Nick Varney
Reeling ‘Em In: Hard luck at the fishing hole

The action wasn’t as hot as in the past, but neither was the run.

Seward's Fred Moore stands at the base of Mount Marathon in Seward, Alaska, on Monday, June 24, 2019. Moore will run in his 50th consecutive Mount Marathon race on July 4. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
‘It’s been a good run’

Seward’s Moore explains his decision to end his Mount Marathon streak at 54

Matthew Schilling of the American Legion Post 20 Twins slides safely past Eagle River catcher Jack Mullen on Monday, July 7, 2025, at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Monday: Twins keep rolling with sweep of Eagle River

The American Legion Post 20 Twins swept Eagle River on Monday at… Continue reading

Sharon Tyone, Dan Aaronson and Jessica Small make the "real life slot machine" work at the Oilers All-Star Family Field Day on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Oilers return to field for All-Star Family Field Day

It was only for a day, but the Peninsula Oilers were able… Continue reading

David Norris, 34, of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, wins the men's race at the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2025, in Seward, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Norris goes 6 for 6 in Mount Marathon men’s race; Moore’s streak ends at 54 races

One streak lived while another streak ended during a brilliantly sunny men’s… Continue reading

Anchorage's Klaire Rhodes, 27, wins the women's race at the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2025, in Seward, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Anchorage’s Rhodes defends women’s Mount Marathon crown

With Seward stuffed with people for 97th running of the Mount Marathon… Continue reading

The juniors start at the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2025, in Seward, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Anchorage’s Zuber, Flagstad capture junior Mount Marathon races

Kenai’s Boonstra takes 2nd in junior girls race

tease
Thursday: Twins finish strong road trip by sweeping South

The visiting American Legion Post 20 Twins picked up 10-0 and 18-5… Continue reading

Nick Varney
Reeling ‘Em In: Fair weather expected for 4th of July weekend

Keep a heads-up approach when in traffic during the holiday — you don’t know who you’ll run into.

tease
Post 20 Twins enact mercy rule on Eagle River

The visiting American Legion Post 20 Twins defeated Eagle River 11-0 in… Continue reading

tease
Tri Nikiski draws 79 participants

The ninth annual Tri Nikiski was held Saturday starting from the Nikiski… Continue reading

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in