The Juneau-Douglas High School Crimson Bears swept the Thunder Mountain High School Falcons on back-to-back senior nights Friday and Saturday.
The Crimson Bears won 25-13, 25-17, 25-18 on Friday at TMHS during the Falcons senior night and 25-20, 25-16, 25-23 on Saturday at JDHS.
On Friday JDHS senior Maddie McKeown totaled 19 kills and 6 blocks to lead the Crimson Bears. Sophomore Leah Spargo added 4 aces and 3 kills, senior Kallen Hoover 3 aces and 1 kill, senior Martina Worden 2 kills and 1 ace, senior Soana Kelepi 2 blocks and sophomore Abby Meiners 1 ace.
The Falcons were led by sophomore Maxie Saceda-Hurt’s 4 kills and 2 aces. Senior Maya Haywood had 3 kills and 4 blocks and senior Makayla Harp 1 kill and 1 block.
In game one the Crimson Bears were led 5-1 and 9-2 as McKeown dominated the net.
The Falcons battled back to 10-6 behind Haywoods’ scoring tips but could not get closer the remainder of the game. JDHS went up 18-7 and 19-11. Spargo served out the last four points with McKeown getting three kills and one block.
JDHS led 4-1 before the Falcons tied the score at 4-4 with two blocks by Haywood.
TMHS would tie the game again at 10-10 before an error on the net paved the way for JDHS’ Hoover to hit two aces and Kelepi block a point to resume control.
The Falcons would battle to within 16-15 and 19-16 but McKeown powered four of the final six points for the win.
TMHS had their first leads of the match in game three and were up 6-4 and 12-9 behind kills by Saceda Hurt and blocks by Audrey Welling.
JDHS turned the tide with sophomore Abby Meiners at the service line for an 18-12 lead with McKeown scoring three kills and two blocks and Miners hitting a final point ace.
A kill by the Falcons’ Harp stopped the flow but McKeown killed a 19-15 lead and Worden served out the match.
On Saturday the Crimson Bears clinched the top seed for next weekend’s Region V Championships.
In game one McKeown served the final 5 points with 2 aces and kills by Hoover and Kelepi. The Falcons had leads of 4-1, 7-3, and 11-6 and were tied at 17-17. Two kills by Haywood earned TMHS a 19-18 advantage. A Worden kill tied the game and a Falcons’ mishit gave the advantage to JDHS.
In game two Spargo served the Crimson Bears to a 4-1 lead with 2 aces and a Worden kill. The two sides traded serve throughout with no lead larger than four points. JDHS held a 19-14 advantage when McKeown aced, the Falcons mishit, and Hoover tipped a shot for 23-14. TMHS’ Saceda-Hurt killed a shot for service but Kelepi blocked to win the ball back at 24-16 and a mishit by the Falcons ended the contest.
Game three started with a McKeown kill but a mishit gave the ball to TMHS and they took a 3-1 advantage.
Mishits put the ball back to JDHS and McKeown’s block and kill gave them a 5-4 advantage.
The two sides picked the net with no team leading by more than four points.
TMHS opened a 20-16 lead with kills by Abby De Roucher, Saceda-Hurt.
Spargo earned the ball back with a kill and a Hoover ace closed the margin to 20-18.
TMHS’ Mary Landes killed for the ball and a 22-18 lead.
A Falcons’ mishit gave JDHS the ball and they tied the game at 22-22.
A Saceda-Hurt kill put TMHS up 23-22 but a service error tied the game and JDHS McKeown killed for 24-23 and Spargo aced the match winner.
McKeown ended the night with 11 kills, 4 blocks and 3 aces to lead JDHS. Spargo added 4 kills and 4 aces, Hoover 4 kills and Kelepi 3 kills and 3 blocks.
TMHS’ Haywood had 10 kills and 6 blocks, Saceda-Hurt 6 kills and 3 aces, and De Roucher 2 kills and 3 aces.
The Region V Championships will be held at TMHS on Friday and Saturday. JDHS (6-2) will get a bye to start the tourney and Ketchikan (6-2) will play TMHS (0-8).
