Sitka defeats Mt. Edgecumbe to open Region V volleyball tournament

Lady Wolves top Lady Braves 3-2 (27-25, 25-21, 19-25, 21-25, 16-14)

Sitka High School senior Bristol Clifton (3) and junior Kailee Brady (15) kill the match winner against Mt. Edgecumbe during the opening game of the Alaska Airlines Region V 3A/4A Volleyball Championships at Juneau's George Houston Gymnasium, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. The Lady Wolves defeated the Lady Braves 3-2 (27-25, 25-21, 19-25, 21-25, 16-14). The two sides play again at 5:15 p.m. Friday in their best two-out-of-three matches for the title. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

By Klas Stolpe  

Juneau Independent

Teamwork has been a trademark of the Sitka High School and Mt. Edgecumbe High School volleyball teams all season and the first match of the 2026 Alaska Airlines Region V 3A/4A Volleyball Championships was no different as the Wolves held off the Lady Braves 3-2 (27-25, 25-21, 19-25, 21-25, 16-14) on Thursday inside Juneau’s George Houston Gymnasium.

Match point cemented that bonding as Sitka senior Bristol Clifton and junior Kailee Brady both rose to kill the match point and end the night.

“I went up and I hit it, but I felt her hand on the back of my hand,” Clifton said. “So I don’t know. We both hit it together. Teamwork.”

Said Brady, “I think it just shows how much we all wanted to win and wanted to just kill the ball and just win the first region game for us.”

Mt. Edgecumbe coach Margo Livermore noted how the Lady Braves have adjusted to the many games against Sitka.

“It is knowing where they have a tendency to hit,” Livermore said. “Or knowing where the open spots are. Our main goal is to try and keep them out of system, because then they can’t necessarily swing as hard. Being unpredictable is where our progression comes and also learning to read their tendencies.”

In game one Mt. Edgecumbe held a 5-2 lead, but a service error gave Sitka possession and Clifton served to a 9-5 lead behind two aces, a block by freshman Piper Vaughn, a kill by sophomore Addie Marx and a tip by senior Jeeya Agullana.

Mt. Edgecumbe worked back to a 13-11 advantage behind kills by Zereah Henry (Point Lay), Charity Mila (Barrow) and senior Gracelynn Friske (Sitka) and a block and a kill from Kasia Barnes (Koliganek).

After two exchanges Sitka had tied the match at 16-16 behind a kill by Clifton and an ace by Brady.

MEHS’ Friske killed for possession, and Mila served to a 20-16 lead behind kills from Barnes and sophomore Kiauna O’Brien (Bethel).

Sitka’s Marx killed for possession, and added two more spikes and Vaughn a block for a 21-20 lead. A Sitka mishit tied the game at 21-21.

Sitka sophomore Lily Scrantz served an ace for 22-21. MEHS’ senior Marlee Chris killed to tie 22-22 and O’Brien blocked a shot for 23-22. A MEHS mishit tied the game, but Sitka had a service error to trail 24-23. MEHS followed with their own service error for a 24-24 tie, but MEHS’ Henry blocked a ball for a 25-24 lead. MEHS had a violation that tied the score at 25-25 and Sitka’s Agullana served twice, one was a mishit by MEHS, the next was a game-winning ace for 27-25.

Sitka High School sophomore Addie Marx (7) kills a shot as against Mt. Edgecumbe sophomore Kiauna O'Brien (5, from Bethel) and Zereah Henrey (12, from Point Lay) during the opening game of the Alaska Airlines Region V 3A/4A Volleyball Championships at Juneau's George Houston Gymnasium, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. The Lady Wolves defeated the Lady Braves 3-2 (27-25, 25-21, 19-25, 21-25, 16-14). The two sides play again at 5:15 p.m. Friday in their best two-out-of-three matches for the title. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

Game two saw Marx serve Sitka to a 6-0 advantage, including a block by Vaughn, a Brady tip and a kill by freshman Eva Miller.

Three possession exchanges put MEHS up 10-8 behind three aces by sophomore Zoya Tuzroyluk (Point Hope) and two hard hits by Friske. After two possession changes MEHS led 14-10.

Sitka’s Brady tipped for possession and served to a 16-14 lead behind three scores by Marx, and one apiece from Clifton and Brady.

The two sides would tie the score four times before Sitka went up 23-20. MEHS’ Friske tipped for possession but a service error put Sitka up 24-21 and Brady served a rally that MEHS mishit to fall 25-21.

In game three MEHS went up early 4-0 and never surrendered the lead, pushing out to 9-4, 14-5, 18-11, and 20-15 advantages. MEHS mishit to give a point to Sitka but Friske earned possession back and Tuzroyluk served to a 24-16 lead.

Sitka’s Marx killed for possession and Scrantz served to trail 24-19. A Wolves’ mishit gave the Braves the 25-19 win.

In game four no team led by more than four points as they exchanged possessions 10 times with Sitka taking a 12-7 lead.

MEHS’ Mila killed for possession and Chris served to a 16-12 lead behind three scoring hits by Friske, and two aces. A service error gave Sitka possession and Marx served to an 18-16 lead behind two hits by Brady, one apiece from freshman Eva Miller and Marx and an ace.

MEHS battled back for a 19-18 lead behind a Friske tip and two aces from Mila. An exchange of service errors put MEHS up 20-19 and Tuzroyluk served to 23-19. A service error gave Sitka a point, but Friske earned it back for a 24-20 lead. A net violation gave Sitka a point, but MEHS’ Chris tipped for the game winner 25-21 to tie the match at two games apiece.

“We are a very close team and work well together,” MEHS coach Livermore said. “But if they do lose their confidence, we can go downhill a little bit. Our teamwork is essential. If somebody digs, I have three or four or five different people that will step in and set the ball, and we will still get a swing off of it. We work a lot on not sending an easy free ball over. We work a lot on communication, filling and getting after every ball. When we trust each other and work together, in my mind, we are pretty much unstoppable, as long as they can keep that positive mindset and continue working forward.”

Mt. Edgecumbe senior Gracelynn Friske tips a shot over Sitka senior Bristol Clifton (3) and freshman Averie Haavig (8) during the opening game of the Alaska Airlines Region V 3A/4A Volleyball Championships at Juneau's George Houston Gymnasium, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. Sitka defeated MEHS 3-2 (27-25, 25-21, 19-25, 21-25, 16-14). The two sides play again at 5:15 p.m. Friday in their best two-out-of-three matches for the title. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

MEHS held a 6-3 lead in game five. Sitka’s Clifton served to tie at 6-6 including a kill by Marx.

A service error gave MEHS possession and they pushed to a 9-6 lead, but gave up possession.

Sitka pulled to 9-8 on an ace by Scrantz and MEHS’ Friske tipped a shot for possession and the Lady Braves pushed out to a 12-8 lead.

A mishit gave Sitka possession and Marx served to a 14-12 lead that included an ace and blocks from Friske and Brady.

MEHS’ O’Brien tipped for possession and Henry killed a shot to tie the game at 14-14.

Brady killed a shot to give Sitka match point at 15-14 and sophomore Maleah Partido served up the match winner that MEHS played back too close to the net and Sitka’s Clifton and Brady killed the ball for 16-14.

“I think we just keep learning and progressing our skills,” Brady said. “And just a lot of reps I think helps us a lot. We do a lot of team bonding and it helps us progress throughout the season.”

Said Clifton, “The first win means everything. It is good that we won. It was a really tough game, but it was good we came out on the top at the end and were able to pull through.”

To date, Sitka has won 12 sets over the Lady Braves this season and Mt. Edgecumbe has won 10 sets over the Lady Wolves.

Match two in the best-of-three matches for the championship is at 5:15 p.m. Friday.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com