The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears face an upward climb after dropping their first match at the 2024 ASAA 4A Volleyball State Championships on Thursday at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center.

The Crimson Bears were swept by the Service Cougars 25-18, 25-7 and 25-18.

JDHS looked like they would make a match of the contest as they battled in a tight first set.

Trailing 3-1, JDHS junior Braith Dihle blocked a shot for possession to pull to 3-2, but a service error put possession back to Service and sophomore Jaelyn Lorenzo aced for a 5-2 lead.

JDHS again gathered and pulled to 5-4, but a service error gave Service another point and the teams exchanged to 7-5 Cougars. JDHS took an 8-7 lead with senior Nina Jeter serving, but another service error tied the set at 8-8 and JDHS would never hold a lead in the three-set series again.

Service sophomore Emilie Miller served to an 11-8 advantage, and the teams would exchange points through to 19-18 with the Cougars ahead.

In that play, scores came from junior Natalia Harris with two kills, senior Evelyn Richards with one kill and Dihle with another.

A JDHS service error gave the ball back to Service for the final time and Cougars senior Sophia Montes compiled three aces and two JDHS miss hits for the 25-18 win.

In set two, JDHS had a kill blocked to open the game, but sophomore June Troxel tipped a shot for possession and classmate Leila Cooper served an ace for a 2-1 lead.

Service junior Dakota Evans killed a shot for possession and then served the Cougars to a 21-2 lead, including five aces and kills by Miller, senior Madison Davis and sophomore Kaitlyn Smith.

Two Cougars miss hits gave JDHS points three and four to trail 24-4.

A block by JDHS’ Harris and an ace by Harris and a Cougars miss hit put the tally at 24-7, but a service error gave the Cougars the set win at 25-7.

The final set was close early with the sides exchanging scores until Service took a lead of 8-3 with Montes serving.

The Cougars provided miss hits and service errors to keep JDHS active and close at 13-9.

In exchanges JDHS pulled to within 17-14 behind a kill by junior Lavinia Ma’ake and an ace by junior Cambry Lockhart.

Another exchange pulled JDHS to 19-16, 20-17 and 21-18 with the Crimson Bears getting kills by Ma’ake and Dihle.

A JDHS service error put the ball in Service’s possession, and senior Tahlia Iloilo killed for 23-18 and sophomore Kavina Baumeister closed out the match with two aces for 25-18.

JDHS’ Ma’ake was selected as the ASAA Player of the Game along with Service’s Montes.

JDHS coach Jody Levernier did not respond to a request for comment.

Points scored on service for JDHS included Lockhart four (1 ace), Cooper four (1 ace), Harris three (2 aces), Neela Thomas two (1 ace), Ma’ake two, June Troxel one (1 ace), Dihle one (1 ace). Dihle had five kills, Ma’ake three, Troxel two, Richards and Harris one apiece.

Lockhart had 24 pass attempts, Troxel 16, Ma’ake 14, Dihle 13 and senior Tatum Billings one. Sophomore Brie Powers had nine assists and Cooper three.

Thomas and sophomore Amelia Effers had one block apiece. Lockhart had 16 digs, Dihle six, Troxel and Ma’ake five apiece, Billings, Effers and Harris one each.

JDHS will play an elimination match at 11:45 a.m. Friday against Soldotna, a 3-1 set loser to Dimond. Dimond advanced to play Service in a late Thursday semifinal.

In the other half of the tournament bracket, top-seeded South Anchorage swept Lathrop 3-0 and Wasilla toppled Chugiak 3-1. In a late Thursday semifinal, South defeated Wasilla 3-2.

Wasilla falls into the losers’ bracket, but remains alive and will play the winner of JDHS and Soldotna.

Lathrop and Chugiak play an elimination game at 10 a.m. Friday. The winner would face the loser of Thursday’s late Dimond/Service match.

In the 3A tournament, Sitka defeated Kotzebue 3-0 to open state play and fell to Kenai 3-0. The Wolves play an elimination game in the losers’ bracket Friday against the winner of Barrow and Nikiski, which opened with losses to Seward and Valdez, respectively. Monroe and Kotzebue play an elimination game Friday, the winner advancing to face the loser of Thursday’s late match between Seward and Valdez.

• Contact Klas Stople at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé juniors Lavinia Ma’ake (11) and Neela Thomas (12) defend Wasilla junior Mia Caldwell (3) in a game earlier this season. Ma’ake was chosen player of the game on Thursday in the Crimson Bears opening loss to Service in the 2024 ASAA Volleyball State Championships at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)