Oak Harbor pushes Wesco record to 9-0 / Volleyball

By Jim Waller • October 17, 2019 1:30 am

Marysville-Pilchuck was no match for the rolling Oak Harbor High School volleyball team as the Wildcats blanked the visiting Tomahawks 3-0 Tuesday, Oct. 15.

The Wildcats (9-0) won 25-11, 25-20, 25-14 to keep their Wesco record clean and keep pace with Arlington for the conference lead.

The Tomahawks fell to 4-5 with the loss.

“I am happy with how we played tonight — smooth and controlled,” Oak Harbor coach Kerri Molitor said.

She was concerned going into the match that her players would be distracted by the activities of Homecoming Week.

“The kids made an effort to stay focused,” Molitor said.

Oak Harbor led 5-4 in the first set and then went on a 9-1 run with the help of three kills from Leielle Salinger, two from Payton Parks and another from Jasmine Ford.

Marysville-Pilchuck never cut its deficit to less than seven from that point.

The Wildcats trailed by as many as five points in the second game but eventually tied the set at 18 behind five kills from Morgan Pease. Up 20-18, two aces each from Salinger and Parks helped Oak Harbor put the game away.

The Wildcats went up 4-3 in the third game and steadily built a lead to collect the win. Salinger fueled the offensive with four kills during the set, while Pease added three kills and a block, and Parks had a kill and ace.

Pease ended the night with 17 kills, 13 digs and two aces; and Salinger had 14 kills, nine digs and four aces.

Parks registered four kills, eight digs, three blocks and four aces; Annie Salinger added 27 assists and nine digs; and Bailey Roggen had three kills and three blocks.

Oak Harbor plays at Everett (4-5, 5-5) at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17. Molitor noted that Everett is always tough at home but is confident her team isn’t looking ahead to next week when the Wildcats face two other formidable foes, Snohomish (8-1) at home Tuesday and Arlington (9-0) on the road Thursday.