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Crimson Bears spikers top Cordova on senior night
JDHS honors 17 seniors with 3-1 (10-25, 28-26, 25-22, 25-14) win
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé volleyball team filled the George Houston Gymnasium on Thursday, hours before its scheduled match against the visiting Cordova Wolverines, as the Crimson Bears honored 17 seniors and their families.
JDHS volleyball players feted were June Troxel, Haley Anne Gilbert, Clairee Overson, Leila Cooper, Regan Salisbury, Macy Summers, Taylor Petrie, Ysabella Healey, Brie Powers, Aylin Wolte, Jethro Cano, Cassie Chenoweth, Liliane Veikoso, Analia Perry, Faith Contreras, Kristyanna Kate Lohrey and August Rathbone.
Cordova seniors Adelaide Botz, Isabelle Nothstine, Keyshia Ganuelas, Rona May Cabuora, Victoria Nothside, Taylor Tiedeman and Willow Tiedeman were also recognized.
JDHS rotated as many seniors as possible in the matches.
“It was important to me to get all the seniors some time on the court,” JDHS coach Arnold Ibias said. “It was hard to hold back from putting in the varsity players sooner. I am happy that we could make it happen for all of them to have their senior night be emotional and with a win.”
Cordova took the first game as the excitement of the night created four mishits by JDHS and the Wolverines took an 11-2 lead that included kills by seniors Victoria Nothside and Isabelle Nothstine and three service aces by Nothside.
The Wolverines pushed the advantage out to 19-4 behind two blocks by junior Avery Reynolds and an ace by Nothstine. Crimson Bears points came via a Summers hit, a Salisbury tip, a block by Gilbert and a serve by Cooper forcing a mishit.
JDHS settled down and exchanged service possessions to the end, but the early advantage favored Cordova for the 25-10 win.
JDHS started strong in game two with kills by Troxel and junior Nellie Stowers, but Cordova stormed back with two kills and two aces by Nothside. JDHS’ Gilbert and Cordova’s Nothstine exchanged kills and the score would inch out to a 16-11 lead by the Wolverines on an ace by Reynolds.
Cordova would hold a 21-11 lead when they faulted at the net. JDHS’ Troxel served JDHS to within 21-18 including a tip by junior Ruby Koskia, an ace, and a kill by Stowers.
Cordova’s T. Tiedeman killed for possession and a 22-18 lead, but a service error gave JDHS point 19 and Gilbert served to a 24-22 lead that included three aces and a kill by Koski.
Cordova’s Nothstine killed to trail 24-23 and the Wolverines’ Cabuora served two aces for a 25-24 advantage. A service error allowed JDHS to tie the score, but the Crimson Bears mishit a ball to give the lead back, 26-25.
Cordova had service, but JDHS sophomore Bela Pyare put a passing shot in to tie the game at 26-26, Troxel tipped a ball across game point and Koski served an ace for the 28-26 win.
JDHS jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game three with a block by Gilbert, a kill by Gilbert and an ace from Powers. Both teams would go on multiple scoring runs.
JDHS collected four kills by Gilbert, two by Koski, scoring tips by Stowers and Powers and three aces from Troxel and one from Gilbert for 22-18 lead. Cordova had four scoring plays by Nothside, three from Nothstine, a block by junior Elizabeth Baenen and an ace from Nothside.
Two JDHS mishits pulled Cordova to within 22-20. JDHS’ Perry tipped for a point and Veikoso tipped for a 24-20 lead. A kill by Cordova’s Reynolds and a JDHS mishit pulled the Wolverines to 24-22, but the Crimson Bears’ Pyare tipped over the game winner.
JDHS used that momentum to control the final game action and close out the match with a 25-14 win. Gilbert had five kills and three blocks in that stretch.
“We took the early lead and kept it,” JDHS coach Ibias said. “Haley was a monster in the final set.”
Both teams now head into the Juneau Volleyball Extravaganza (JIVE) starting Friday and playing through Saturday. Also in the mix are Haines, Ketchikan, Metlakatla, Sitka, Skagway and the JDHS JV. Action starts with pool play from 4-7 p.m. Friday and continues into Saturday, from 8-11 a.m., with final placings from noon through 3 p.m. The JIVE tournament Gold Bracket begins at 4:30 p.m. Saturday with play fueling the championship game at 8:15 p.m.
Following are JDHS senior inside notes.
June Troxel, #1, outside hitter/defensive specialist. Will be playing college volleyball with plans to study behavioral health and nutritional sciences. Her advice for returning players is “stay positive and show gratitude for every opportunity.”
Haley Anne Gilbert, #7, middle hitter. Plans to be a pediatric nurse or physical therapist. She will miss playing with her friends on the JDHS team. She said her favorite memory is “The crunchy pizza from Sitka.”
Clairee Overson, #8, defensive specialist. She plans to serve a mission for her church in the fall, then attend college and major in nursing. She is hoping to pursue a career in health care such as a labor and delivery nurse or pediatrics. Her favorite quote is “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”
Leila Cooper, #5, defensive specialist/outside hitter. She plans to attend college in the fall and study in the medical field. She said “I am going to miss all of the girls I have had the opportunity to play with over the years, along with all the inside jokes, memories, and friendships we have made along the way.”
Regan Salisbury, #7, setter. Her favorite subject in school is lunch. She noted that “traveling with the team and making friends” is what she will miss the most. Her favorite quote or personal motto is “yolo.”
Macy Summers, #4, middle hitter, outside hitter. She said her favorite memory is “Zoe and I cheering for the varsity girls in Ketchikan, ruling the student section,” and her advice for returning players is “always fight for what you deserve.”
Taylor Petrie, #5, defensive specialist, all around. Her favorite subject is woodshop, and she plans to attend UAA and receive a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). Her advice for underclassmen and returning players is “bad days happen but don’t let them ruin your season.”
Ysabella Healey, #1, outside hitter. Her favorite subject is literature. Her advice for returning players is “try new things that you are incredibly unfamiliar with, things that may intimidate you, because surprising yourself with your newfound abilities is far better than being too surprised to start.” Her favorite quote: Romans 12:21 - Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Brie Powers, #3, setter. She plans to attend college and major in Kinesiology, with the goal of becoming a physical therapist. She said “I am going to miss all of my amazing teammates and Nellie’s dad’s conditioning.”
Aylin Wolter, stats manager. Plans to go to college for science and work as a researcher. Her extracurricular activities include: Interact, NHS, Future Women of STEM, and Enigma. Her favorite team memory is “when we went to Haines my freshman year. We got ice cream the first day, and had a lip-sync battle the last evening.”
Jethro Cano, manager. His favorite memory was witnessing the last Thunder Mountain High School volleyball team playing the last TMHS varsity game of the school year, the long speeches by Coach Herman, her last goodbye to them all. His favorite quote is “Make use of the connections you have built. Have none? Make some by a smile and a greeting.”
Cassie Chenoweth, #15, outside hitter. She plans to continue playing softball at the collegiate level while attending a community college in Washington, study kinesiology, pursue a career in physical therapy, and remain involved in sports by helping athletes recover from injuries, improve their performance and achieve their goals. Her advice for returning players is “regardless of the quality of coaching, don’t let negativity affect you. Find your own love and passion for your sport, strive to be the best athlete and person you can be, and always maintain a positive mindset.”
Liliane Veikoso, #17, setter, middle hitter, outside hitter, rightside hitter. Her favorite subject is Human Anatomy and Psychology. She plans to serve a mission for her church, maybe play collegiate-level volleyball, or attend college to study psychology or dental practice. Her favorite quote is “Without the power of God I really am completely inadequate.”
Analia Perry, #10, middle blocker, rightside hitter. Plans to study sports medicine in college and will miss all the friendships she made in the JDHS program. Perry said “Thank you to my mom and the coaches for pushing me to work hard.”
Faith Contreras, #11, defensive specialist. Her favorite memory was a trip to Sitka and “though in the moment it was very exhausting, we walked up to the school, then back down to the bottom, and then back up again. It was fun team bonding, getting to know and talk to everyone on C, JV, and V.” Her favorite motto is “Practice makes better.”
Kristyanna Kate Lohrey, #8, libero, all around. She plans to be an Esthetician/cosmetology in Tucson, Arizona, and will miss all the friends she has made in the JDHS program. Her favorite memory is “when some of my teammates went to the lake and played volleyball and paddle boarded.”
August Rathbone, #9, setter. Her favorite subject is Native Design and Honors Chemistry. She plans to build a steady career and pursue her dreams. Her favorite quote is by Fiona Apple: And I know none of this will matter in the long run, but I know a sound is still a sound around no one.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com
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