Juneau’s crosstown volleyball teams started and ended their Saturday on the court together at the Juneau Invitational Volleyball Extravaganza at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaat.at Kalé.
Thunder Mountain High School and JDHS played three times Saturday, with the Falcons defeating the Crimson Bears 2-1 in the finals of the seven-team varsity tournament. Also taking part in the event was Petersburg, Craig, Wrangell, Klawock and Haines.
“Any time you get to play in a tournament there’s always really, really good teams and whoever wants it more ends up winning,” TMHS coach Julie Herman said. “It was a long two days of volleyball so I think our kids are really proud of how they played.”
JDHS wanted it more in the first set of the championship game, Herman said, but the Falcons turned it around before it was too late. TMHS stormed back to tie the match at 1-1 before winning the deciding third set.
TMHS went 9-1 and JDHS went 7-3 in round-round play Friday and Saturday morning. Each round-robin match consisted of two sets to 21 points, while the bracket matches were first to win two sets to 25 points. TMHS avoided the loser’s bracket and played two matches before to the finals, while JDHS played four matches against Haines, Craig and JDHS before the final tilt.
“I think they actually played the maximum number of matches they could’ve played in the tournament and they were still playing their little hearts out at the end of the night,” JDHS coach Jody Levernier said.
TMHS played Petersburg, Craig, Wrangell and Klawock Friday, winning by scores of 21-10, 21-7, 21-13, 21-14, 21-17, 21-6, 21-14 and 21-6. JDHS played the same four, winning both sets over Wrangell (21-9, 21-12) and Craig (21-18, 21-15), while splitting sets with Klawock (16-21, 21-16) and Petersburg (21-18, 17-21).
The Falcons have won the last four JIVE Tournaments.
