Pirates bust out in NE net race

Zoe Moser goes up for kill shot againts the Pirates in the Thursday battle at Colton with MaryAnn Jacobs in the background.

McKenzie Kimberling, Georgia Meyer and MaryAnn Jacobs hit the deck for Colton in the final hectic moments of Thursday’s showdown with Pomeroy.

Pomeroy Pirates bounced to the top of the SE volleyball race with an 8-0 record after winning last Thursday's showdown with Colton and sweeping Liberty Christian in the Tuesday round.

Thursday at Colton the Wildcats and Pirates locked up in a battle of the undefeateds. The Pirates roared to a big win in the first game, but Colton stacked wins in the next two games and posted a lead in the fourth game to be on the brink of derailing the defending state champs with a 3-1 win, but Pomeroy prevailed.

Line score for the Pirates win was 25-14, 27-29, 21-25, 25-21 and 15-11 in the final.

In the fourth game, Colton stormed out to a 17-8 lead before the Pirates began a run of six points. They didn't actually catch the Wildcats until it hit 20-20 and they gradually nudged to the front.

In the tie-breaker, the Pirates posted an early lead with Ireland Mayfield at the service line and added two points with Kacey Halbert punching two aces in a row.

Colton rallied to within two points, 10-12 on an ace shot by Zoe Moser, but the decider finished with the Bucs getting the match point on the block.

Colton's mid-match run included a change call on point 27 and the final point on a missed Pirate clock attempt.

In the third game, Moser took control with a run of five points, two on aces. Pomeroy closed at the end of the game but missed three shots to put the game in Colton's column.

Pomeroy Tuesday kept the string cooking with a sweep of Liberty Christian, 25-12, 25-6, 25-10 with Esther Schuh hitting eight kills.

Oakesdale Tuesday rolled to Colton and topped the Wildcats in a five-game screamer with finished with a 15-12 edge in the fifth game decider. The win advanced the Nighthawks to 6-2 on the season and put them in tie for the Wildcats in the number-two slot in the league which moved into the second round.

Colton clipped the Nighthawks in the first round.

Scores for Tuesday's Nighthawk win at Colton were 16-25, 25-15, 23-25 and 25-21 for a 2 -2 tie going into that last game. Jacey Johnson hit 25 kills for the Nighthawks and hit two aces. Maddie Shrope put up 46 assists. Logan Reed booked five blocks and 16 digs.

Colton's Zoe Moser hit 23 kills and had 25 digs. Jordyn Moehrle hit four aces, and Rachel Meyer put up six blocks.

In the Thursday round, Oakesdale topped Garfield/Palouse with a sweep 25-20 25-15 and 25-15 with Johnson annd Corynn Anderson each putting down 11 kills, Shrope had 20 assists against the Vikinngs.

St. John/Endioctt in the Tuesday defeated Touchet in four games to move their record to 4-4. Line score for Eagle win was 25-13 26-24 20-25 and 25-21.

Stats for the Eagles included Glorfield 4 aces, 11 kills, 21 digs; Aja Schmick, 2 aces, 20 digs; Gracie Dickerson 19 assists, 4 kills, 7 blocks, and 21 digs; Hunter Hollingworth, 8 kills, 5 blocks; Jadyn Corder, 7 kills, 9 blocks; and Kierstyn Ray, 5 kills 12 digs.

St. John/Endicott in the Thursday round defeated LaCrosse/Washtucna/Kahlotus in four games, 25-10 24-25 25-22 25-12. Glorfield hit six kills at the Tigercats, and Gracie Dickerson hit 11 acres.

Jazzmyn Gordon put down 12 kills, and Nicole Harder had 24 assists and hit three aces for the hosts.