Naselle back to winning ways

Naselle's girls volleyball team quickly rebounded from its first loss of the season last week at Pe Ell with a trio of wins. Squaring off against Lake Quinault, the Comets swept the Elks in three straight sets (25-8, 25-4, 25-13) last Tuesday, Sept. 30. Jessie Smith led the team with 21 assists and added five kills and five aces. Sophia Colombo led the team in both digs with 11 and aces with six. Haylee Rose and Mylee Dunagan each came away with eight kills to lead the team, while Maddie Dielman managed 12 assists and four digs. Sadie Kilponen had four aces and six digs to round out the standouts for the Comets. "The girls played well tonight," said Head Coach Rebekah Wirkkala. "They played smart and mixed it up with rolling, tipping and putting it away. [I'm] so proud of the teamwork they displayed, and the effort they all put into the night; even the bench players."

The girls would continue their winning ways Thursday, Oct. 2, with a five-set marathon against Taholah. Winning every other set (25-23, 16-25, 25-13, 21-25, 16-14), the Comets outlasted the host Chitwins for the team's second straight win. Brooke Davis led the team in digs with 21 and kills with eight. Smith led the team in assists with 30, while Rose and Dunagan had 10 kills each to lead the team in that category. Dunagan had four kills, while Rose added four aces. Smith added 11 digs, and Dielman had 10 assists and seven digs in the barn-burning victory.

Describing the win as "hard fought," Wirkkala said, "Taholah also played great. Our team had 68 digs, which shows that both teams were attacking the ball. Great saves from both teams. Thankful to have Brooke back. Our blocking came to life, and we served over 90 percent. Mylee and Emma stood out as they put it away in crucial moments. Our team is very selfless and wants the best no matter how much playing time they get. It’s a privilege to watch them support each other."

The win streak would reach three for the Comets as they dealt nearby Wahkiakum a four-set loss (25-17, 25-14, 18-25, 25-10). Smith had 22 assists and eight aces to lead the team in both categories, and added nine digs for good measure. Colombo led the team with 15 digs, while Rose led in kills with 13. Dunagan led the team in blocks with three, while Kilponen managed 14 digs. Davis rounded out the team's winning effort with 11 digs and five kills. "Monday games are hard, but the girls came out and worked as a team," said Wirkkala. "Haylee Rose led with 13 kills, and Jessie Smith went 36-0 at the serving line with eight aces. [I'm] proud of this team continuing to play together and continuing to grow."

The Comets (8-1) hosted Wishkah Tuesday night, but the results of the game weren't available at the time of press. The girls will host Willapa Valley Thursday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. for senior night before entering the Adna Varsity Tournament Saturday.