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Photo by Sam Harrel

FAIRBANKS — West Valley shook off some mid-match sluggishness to defeat Delta Junction 25-8, 25-19, 25-8 in high school volleyball action Tuesday afternoon at West Valley.

Michaela Hale led the Wolfpack with 10 kills, followed by Karole Renfro with eight and Samantha Wolters with seven.

The 11-point difference in the second set was a result of miscues on passing, Wolfpack coach Dave Cox said. He added that the team got a little “too giddy” to begin the second set before regaining its composure and shoring up its passing.

Fabienne Clerc, Jova Manzie and Kelcie Meeks had standout nights in the back row.

Cox said he prepared for a Huskies team full of “good scramblers” and that West Valley would have to pass well to create scoring opportunities.

“In the first and third games, we kept on our feet, kept ahead of the ball,” he said.

Cox was glad to see a strong return for second setter Kylie Dickerson from a broken hand, whose presence allowed first setter Hale to amass the team’s highest kill total.

With the playoffs looming at the end of the month, Cox said his biggest concern is health, as several of his players are sick or hurt.

Still, he likes his chances in the playoffs, especially with Manzie at libero.

“She’s getting balls up for us that I didn’t even think were possible,” Cox said.

Delta’s next game is at Valdez on Friday. West Valley hosts Eielson on Thursday.

Patriots sweep Hawks

Behind a stellar performance from their middle hitters, the North Pole Patriots swept away the host Hutchison Hawks in nonconference prep volleyball action Tuesday.

Makenzie Foran (nine kills and two blocks) and Meghan McKinnell (eight kills and five blocks) controlled the middle in North Pole’s 25-20, 25-16, 25-14 victory.

“We played like a well-oiled machine. It was actually really fun to watch. We moved, we passed, we talked, we hit,” Patriots coach Victoria Denning said.

North Pole only got stronger as the match progressed.

“We have been working hard on staying intense through the entire match,” Denning said.

Outside hitter Nathalie Cart added four kills for North Pole, which next hosts Wasilla on Friday.

“We’ve improved from the beginning of the season and we keep improving every day,” Denning said. “That’s all you can ask for at this point.”

Lathrop defeats Eielson

Eielson’s beefed-up roster took a game from Lathrop but tapered off in its 25-16, 23-25, 25-14, 25-7 loss to the Malemutes.

The Ravens had several players return from injury and disciplinary issues recently, and Eielson head coach Shane McAfee said it will take some time before they’re back on the same page with the rest of the team.

“We just want to knock some of that rust off and get back into the flow with the new girls,” McAfee said.

Clean passing was the key to the Ravens’ second-set win against a Lathrop team that otherwise “overpowered” them, McAfee said.

“I knew (the Malemutes) were bigger on the front row, and I knew we wouldn’t handle some of their hitters,” he said, “so we had to rely on our passing.”

Lathrop hosts Wasilla on Thursday.