Area Sports by Michael Dashiell

Consider it the calm before the storm.

After a three-set loss to Olympic on Oct. 13 and facing some of the top teams in the state last weekend at the Capital City Tournament in Olympia, Sequim's Wolves are facing their easiest part of the season schedule.

That's not particularly

good news, however, as Sequim faces the four worst teams in the league to conclude the regular season before heading to the West Central District playoffs, said Wolves' coach Jennie Webber Heilman.

Weaker teams won't help Sequim for the playoffs, the Wolves' leader said.

"It's nice we got to play Kennedy and Interlake for our nonleague (games)," Webber Heilman said, noting the tough matches the Wolves saw earlier this season. "(But) we need to make sure we beat these guys in three games. We're going to have to choose to work hard at practice."

Sequim (6-2 in league, 7-3 overall) is all but assured of the Olympic League's top 2A seed heading into the district tournament, set for Nov. 6-7 at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma.

There, the Wolves and five other teams battle for two spots to the state 2A tournament.

Webber Heilman noted that with Fife, the No. 5 team in the 2A ranks, lurking on

the Nisqually side, it'll be a battle for those two spots.

Sequim got a tough test from a 3A school last week, as Olympic topped the Wolves 25-17, 25-20 and 26-24 in Silverdale on Oct. 13.

Monica Phinney had 13 kills while Sam Thornton added nine kills and Chelasea Brustad added 28 assists for the victorious hosts. Olympic moved ahead of the Wolves for second place before a showdown with North Kitsap later in the week (North Kitsap won, three sets to one, on Oct. 15).

Jessica Lauritzen had five kills and Lindsey Soha was 15-of-16 serving with two aces.

But the Wolves had a tough time with a couple of players missing from their roster and a finger injury to senior Caitlin Pallai early in the match.

"They had some tough serving and we weren't passing well in the beginning," Webber Heilman said. "In the third game I thought we were going to beat them."

Replacing Pallai late in the third set, freshman Haleigh Harrison sparked a comeback that just fell short.

"Another day, we would have not lost in three (sets)," Webber Heilman said.

On Oct. 17, Sequim took on some of the best schools in the state at the Capital City Tournament. Sequim didn't place but got good experience, Webber Heilman said, against teams such as Central Kitsap and Selah.

Olympia won its own tourney, topping Selah 25-21 and 27-25 in the final.

Sequim was scheduled to play at winless Klahowya on Oct. 20 - results were unavailable at press time. The Wolves are at Kingston on Oct. 22 before two home matches to cap the 2009 campaign: Oct. 27 versus Port Townsend and Oct. 29 against North Mason.

Sequim beat North Mason, the defending Olympic League champion, in three sets on Sept. 10, the season-opener.

"North Mason has gotten better," Webber Heilman said. "That might be a pretty good game."



Reach Michael Dashiell at miked@sequimgazette.com.





Olympic League

standings

(as of Oct. 19)

Team Lg. Over.

North Kitsap 10-0 14-2

Olympic 7-2 7-5

Sequim 6-2 7-3

Port Angeles 6-3 8-3

Bremerton 4-5 4-8

North Mason 4-5 4-7

Pt. Townsend 3-6 3-6

Kingston 1-9 1-11

Klahowya 0-9 0-11