LAKEPORT >> The longest active winning streak in Lake County high school sports is no more. The Clear Lake Cardinals ended it Tuesday night with a marathon 25-14, 25-15, 16-25, 15-25, 19-17 varsity volleyball victory over the Kelseyville Knights in Lakeport.
Clear Lake now sits atop the North Central League I standings with a 12-1 record and can clinch no worse than a tie for the league title with a victory Thursday at home against Cloverdale, the Cardinals’ final league match. Kelseyville (11-1) is home Wednesday night against St. Helena and still has a makeup match with Cloverdale that might not take place. If the two archrivals finish tied in the loss column with one each, a special playoff match on Saturday in Kelseyville at 5 p.m. will determine which co-champion receives the league’s automatic home playoff berth. The outcome of that match won’t impact the league standings and the loser can still reach the playoffs via the at-large route (and almost certainly will).
“It’s about stinking time … hallelujah!” Clear Lake coach Marci Psalmonds said when asked about ending Kelseyville’s 45-match winning streak in league play, one that dates back more than three calendar years for the two-time defending NCL I champions.
The Cardinals also ended a 10-match losing streak to the Knights, one that dates back to the 2012 season.
“I don’t remember it,” Psalmonds said of the last time the Cardinals beat the Knights. “But I’m going to remember this one for a long time. I told them (Clear Lake players) after the game they’re never going to forget this. This is what high school sports is all about.”
Tuesday’s match mirrored the first meeting between these two teams. Back on Sept. 28 in Kelseyville, it was the host Knights who won the first two games, lost the next two, and then pulled out the match with a win in the fifth set.
“Only they won that fifth set pretty easily and tonight’s went back and forth … it was crazy,” Psalmonds said. “People who were here tonight got their money’s worth.”
Clear Lake had a 18-17 lead in the fifth set when Kelseyville hit the ball into the net on match point, setting off a wave of celebration for the Cardinals and their fans, who have been waiting for this moment for a long, long time, according to Psalmonds.
“It’s just a huge relief,” Psalmonds said. “We’ve finally got Kelseyville out of our heads. We know we are good and we know we can beat them now.”
As dominant as the Cardinals were in the first two sets, the Knights returned the favor in sets three and four, setting up a winner-take-all fifth set that eventually went Clear Lake’s way.
“Volleyball is a huge momentum game,” Psalmonds said. “You have it and then all of a sudden you don’t and it’s tough to get it back.”
Kelseyville coach Donelle McCallister said the end of the 45-match league winning streak was of no great concern to her nor was the Knights’ 10-match winning streak against the Cardinals.
“I don’t care about that,” she said. “I’m just sorry we couldn’t finish it out tonight.”
McCallister had high praise for Clear Lake outside hitter Kiana Richardson, who peppered the Kelseyville defense to the tune of 29 kills.
“I commend Kiana, she was on,” McCallister said. “She had some wonderful swings and did a great job.”
Psalmonds seconded that motion but also said that the overall play of Camille Donald, the setting of Kylie Udy and the back row play of Madi Ferguson were key to finally beating the Knights.
Donald finished with 17 kills and and also had 10 digs.
“She had an all-around good night and got the job done for us,” Psalmonds said. “Kylie played great,” Psalmonds added of her setter’s 58 assists. “Ferguson (34 digs) played the best defensive game she’s had all season.”
Allison Bryant had 21 kills to lead Kelseyville, Malia Brown served 19 points and had no service errors, and Payton Conrad had 21 digs. Tymeka Brown, the Knights’ setter, finished with 18 assists.
In the junior varsity match, Clear Lake defeated Kelseyville 25-22, 25-20 to improve to 9-3 in the league standings. Kelseyville fell to 8-4.
Clear Lake was led by Emma Boatwright and Shaelyn McIntire, both with five kills.
“We just didn’t want it bad enough,” Kelseyville coach Deanna Goff said.
Alexa Vargas led the Knights with three kills, four assists and seven digs, Megan Holland had three kills, Kaley O’Boyle added five assists, and Kasandra Villalobos finished with two kills.
