A 3-1 win over visiting Marysville-Pilchuck Tuesday, Oct. 13,  helped the Oak Harbor High School volleyball team inch closer to securing a postseason berth.

The victory put the Wildcats (4-4, 4-6) in a sixth-place tie with Meadowdale in the Wesco 3A standings. The top seven teams will move on to the district tournament. Had Oak Harbor lost to Marysville-Pilchuck (3-5, 4-6), it would have dropped to 10th in the tightly-bunched standings.

Only two games in the win column separate the third through 10th-place teams with four matches remaining.

Three of Oak Harbor’s remaining matches are with teams below it in the standings. The final match is with unbeaten and first-place Shorewood.

The Wildcats go to Marysville Getchell (1-6, 2-7) at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20.

In the win over the Tomahawks, Oak Harbor won close games in the first and fourth sets, while the two teams traded easy wins in the middle.

The Wildcats squeaked out a 25-22 win to open the night, then cruised to a 25-13 win. Marysville-Pilchuck rebounded with a 25-13 win in the third game before Oak Harbor wrapped up the contest with a 25-22 win.

M-P topped Oak Harbor 3-1 in a non-league match earlier this season.

The Wildcats received offensive help throughout the lineup, led by Claire Anderson’s 19 kills and Janae Payne’s 41 assists.

Hailee Blau added 10 kills, Geslyne Barreta eight and Payne and AnnaBelle Whitefoot five each.

A strong defensive effort included four players with double-digit digs: Whitefoot (19), Barreta (17), Anderson (14) and Payne (14). Blau had two blocks and Anderson one.

“(A) good win for use tonight,” coach Kerri Molitor said.