The Oak Harbor High School volleyball team overcame one bugaboo, now it will have to vanquish another if it hopes to qualify for the state tournament.
After losing all four five-game matches they played during the regular season, the Wildcats won their second in three days in the district tournament. Both enabled Oak Harbor to stay alive in the consolation bracket.
The latest was a 3-2 win over Arlington Thursday, Nov. 6, at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.
Now the Wildcats return to M-P to face Ferndale at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, in a match that will determine third place and the final District 1 berth into the state tournament.
Ferndale is the other trouble spot the Wildcats need to conquer. The sixth-ranked Golden Eagles defeated Oak Harbor 3-1 in last year’s district championship match, 3-1 in this fall’s first regular-season match and 3-0 in the first round of this district tournament last Saturday.
Coach Kerri Molitor said the key to taking down Ferndale is the same as any match, stay focused and play with solid fundamentals.
One of the five-match losses Oak Harbor suffered during the regular season was at Arlington Sept. 22.
This time the Wildcats won 25-17, 21-25, 25-21, 24-26, 15-9.
Molitor said she wasn’t sure how her team would react, going to Marysville-Pilchuck, the site of the campus shooting that took four lives two weeks ago.
“It was kind of a somber drive,” Molitor said. “The posters and memorials on the campus were emotional and a little distracting.”
The Wildcats, however, proved ready to play and built a big lead on the way to the first-game win.
With the ease of the win, Oak Harbor took a “we got this” attitude into the second game, Molitor said, and suffered the consequences.
The Wildcats rebounded for the third-game win but then found themselves in a deep hole in the fourth.
Behind 23-18, Oak Harbor rallied behind the serving of Natalie McVey for a 24-23 lead before falling.
The momentum of the late spurt helped the Wildcats get off to a good start in the fifth-set win.
“We were more focused, moved a little quicker,” Molitor said.
Junior Claire Anderson, who struggled in the fourth set, spurred the Wildcats’ strong finish, according to Molitor, with an “aggressive” and “confident” attack.
Anderson finished the evening with 38 kills and 19 digs.
Freshman Hailee Blau added 13 kills behind a hitting efficiency that was “off the charts,” according to Molitor.
The 6-foot-2 Blau was also huge defense, registering 8.5 blocks, by far a season best for Oak Harbor, Molitor said.
McVey, in addition to three aces, dished out 28 assists, while Hailey Beecher handed out 33.
Priya Osborne had 17 digs and Geslyne Barreta 12.
After the Oak Harbor-Ferndale match Saturday, Marysville-Pilchuck will play Edmonds-Woodway for the district crown.
