Volleyball improves record to 9-6

Quality overshadowed quantity when the La Conner High School volleyball team hosted its annual Dig Pink/Senior Night match last week.

Defensive specialist Addison Wigal, the team’s lone senior, was celebrated as part of Oct. 8 festivities at Landy James Gym.

For her part, Wigal delivered four digs and a service ace to help a young Braves lineup post a 3-1 triumph over Mount Vernon Christian. The score: 25-16, 25-13, 24-26, 25-13.

Nora McCormick recorded a team-best 10 kills for the victors. Reese Bird (9), Maeve McCormick (6), Abi Poulton (4), Aaliyah Gonzalez (2), Addison Keller (1) and Mia Delage (1) also delivered kills.

La Conner controlled the tempo of the match with solid serving. In addition to Wigal, Keller (7), Bird (4), Maeve McCormick (4) and Gonzalez (3) finished with aces.

Bird and Nora McCormick had 13 assists each to ignite the attack. Defensively, Keller (18) and Maeve McCormick combined for 28 digs.

The story was much the same at Darrington, another 3-1 win (25-21, 22-25, 25-8, 25-16) in a key road test last Thursday.

Nora McCormick again led in kills with 11. Keller had six aces, Poulton notched three blocks, Bird dished off 11 assists and Keller (16), Nora McCormick (11) and Maeve McCormick (11) landed in double-digit digs.

That two-match winning streak was halted on Saturday, when visiting Neah Bay handed the Braves a 3-1 (28-26, 21-25, 25-19, 25-15) setback despite 10 kills from Nora McCormick, nine by Bird, seven by Maeve McCormick and four from Poulton.

La Conner entertained 1A Sultan Tuesday night. The team plays NW2B/1B rival Coupeville Oct. 17 in a much-anticipated pairing. La Conner welcomes league foe Friday Harbor at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 22.

Boys' and girls' soccer

On the soccer pitch, the La Conner boys’ team – which had endured several hard-fought, low-scoring losses – broke into the win column with a pair of impressive shutouts.

Coach Galen McKnight’s charges blanked Cedar Park Christian 2-0 in an Oct. 8 Senior Night match at Whittaker Field. The Braves followed up with a 3-0 home win over Grace Academy on Oct. 10.

The team (2-5-1) is at Mount Vernon Christian today at 4 p.m.

The girls’ team (3-4-2) visits Providence Classical Christian this afternoon at 3:30 p.m., having forged a 2-2 Senior Night draw with Sultan before dropping a 3-2 decision to Mount Vernon Christian on Oct. 10 and a 5-1 non-conference loss at South Whidbey on Oct. 12.