LAKEPORT >> The Clear Lake Cardinals tuned up for their first-place showdown Tuesday night against Kelseyville with a 25-11, 25-14, 25-16 varsity volleyball victory over the Fort Bragg Timberwolves on Monday at Lakeport.
Clear Lake improves to 11-1 in the North Central League I standings and will host the undefeated Kelseyville Knights (11-0), two-time defending league champions, Tuesday night. If Kelseyville wins, the league race is essentially over although the Knights still have matches remaining against St. Helena (Wednesday night in Kelseyville) and Cloverdale (a makeup match that has yet to be scheduled). Clear Lake hosts Cloverdale on Thursday to close out the regular season.
If Clear Lake wins Tuesday, then the archrivals will both have one league loss pending their remaining matches this week.
“We’re running everything right now. It’s smooth, effortless. That’s a good thing,” Clear Lake coach Marci Psalmonds said of the Cardinals’ performance against the Timberwolves (7-4), who are sitting third in the league standings. “I hope it continues tomorrow,” she added of the Tuesday match against the Knights, who are coming off a big tournament win on Saturday at American Canyon.
Clear Lake got off to a great start against Fort Bragg when Corin Alakszay served 11 straight points to open the match. The Cardinals had two more solid runs at the service line in the second set when Kylie Udy served up six in a row and Camille Donald ripped off 11 straight.
Donald had a big night all the way around with 16 kills and only three hitting errors. She also had 10 digs.
“She had a good night,” Psalmonds said.
Other Clear Lake leaders were Valerie Hutton with eight kills and two blocks, Kiana Richardson with six kills and Madi Ferguson with 12 digs. Feeding Clear Lake’s hitters was setter Udy with 31 assists.
“Her assist totals are amazing,” Psalmonds said.
In the junior varsity match, Fort Bragg rallied to win 24-26, 31-29, 15-7, dropping the Cardinals to 9-3 in league play.
