FORT BRAGG — The Kelseyville Knights spent more time on the road than on the court Monday night, falling 25-7, 25-13, 25-17 to the Fort Bragg Timberwolves in a North Central League I varsity volleyball match played on the Mendocino County coast.
Kelseyville (0-2), the five-time defending league champion, is in full rebuild mode in 2021. The highly decorated program hasn’t lost back-to-back league matches since the 2011 season.
“Our serving improved a little,” Kelseyville head coach Donelle McCallister said. “We’re just trying to put pieces together that works for this young team.”
Fort Bragg is off to a great start in league play, improving to 3-0.
“Fort Bragg … that’s the best I’ve ever seen them play,” McCallister said of the Timberwolves.
“To be honest that wasn’t their best performance this year,” said Fort Bragg coach Kim Mertle, a Clear Lake High School alum who is in her 10th year coaching the Timberwolves. “That is the first time I have ever beaten Kelseyville, so that was big.”
Team captain Jacie Cavelle served Fort Bragg to a 13-0 lead in the first set. She finished the match with 10 aces while the Timberwolves had 20 as a team. Lucy Hendricks led the team with 10 kills while Carmen Velasquez added five kills and 10 assists.
Fort Bragg also won the junior varsity match 25-13, 25-16.
In the inaugural Cougar Invitational on Saturday in Upper Lake, a tournament that involved all five of the county’s varsity teams participating in a round-robin competition, Kelseyville ended up fourth after splitting its four matches. Clear Lake won the title, Upper Lake came in second and Middletown finished third. Kelseyville freshman Olivia Hommer was named to the All-Tournament team.
Kelseyville has a league bye Thursday before returning to action on Sept. 9 at home against St. Helena.
