FORT BRAGG — Once the Clear Lake Cardinals picked up the tempo, they cruised to a 17-25, 25-15, 25-16, 25-16 win over the Fort Bragg Timberwolves in North Central League I varsity volleyball action Tuesday night in Fort Bragg.
“We were running a little slow in that first set, playing at their (Timberwolves’) speed,” Clear Lake head coach Marci Psalmonds. “That’s not our game. We play at a faster speed and once we picked it up a little we were fine. That changed the whole game for us.”
Clear Lake (13-2, 27-3) locked up sole possession of second place in the league standings with the win and closed out its road schedule. The Cardinals return home Thursday for their league and regular-season finale against Cloverdale, and they will honor their seniors prior to the match with the Eagles, who pushed Clear Lake to five sets earlier this season.
After the Cloverdale match, the Cardinals won’t know until Sunday who, when and where they are playing in the North Coast Section Division 5 playoffs, which open next Tuesday. Clear Lake figures to be either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed, according to Psalmonds, who said her squad is in the running for the top spot along with a familiar foe, Urban High School of San Francisco, the team that beat Clear Lake in three straight sets a year ago in the quarterfinal round at Lakeport. Earning the No. 1 seed would give the Cardinals the home court throughout the playoffs — as long as they keep on winning.
“Wouldn’t that be nice?” Psalmonds said after beating Fort Bragg (11-5) for the second time this season.
Middle hitter Abby Mertle and outside hitter Quincy Paarsch each had 14 kills against the Timberwolves. Paarsch also had 12 digs and three aces while Mertle collected a pair of blocks.
“She had a really good night,” Psalmonds said of Paarsch, a sophomore called up to the varsity early in the season.
Stella Hill, a senior outside hitter, added 10 kills and 11 digs.
Clear Lake also received strong play from libero Amber Smart (26 digs) and setter Sierra Bruch (37 assists, 14 digs).
Lemara Hendrick led the Timberwolves with six kills and Emmi Paoli added five kills. Montana Robles contributed a team-best 25 digs.
“We came out playing tough but our errors began to take over,” Fort Bragg head coach Kimberly Mertle said.
Junior varsity action Thursday against Cloverdale starts at 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. The varsity match follows.
Junior varsity
Fort Bragg won the JV match, 25-22, 17-25, 15-8, despite seven kills and four digs by Clear Lake’s Kaylah Billig and four kills, eight assists, eight digs and two aces by Emily Gersalia.
“Fort Bragg was just the better team,” Clear Lake head coach Morgan Psalmonds said. “At the end they were just outplaying us.”
Psalmonds said the Cardinals played better the second time around against the Timberwolves, just not quite good enough to win the rematch.
“The last time time we played them, they beat us in two (sets) and we only had six kills for the entire match,” she said. “This time we had 17 kills. We were more of an offensive threat this time.”
Other Clear Lake standouts were Atiana Patino with 13 points, 10 digs and three aces, and Halley Escalera with nine digs and two kills.
