After concluding the regular season with a 3-0 win at Shorewood Tuesday, Nov. 5, the Oak Harbor High School volleyball team heads to the district tournament next week.

The Wildcats went 12-2 in Wesco play, tying Snohomish for second place, and will be the third seed in the 10-team district playoffs.

Oak Harbor hosts sixth-seeded Stanwood at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, in the district opener. The tournament continues Nov. 14 and 16 at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.

Stanwood (8-6) will provide a strong challenge for the Wildcats. Oak Harbor nipped the Spartans 3-2 during the regular season, and Stanwood upset Snohomish, one of the two teams that beat the Wildcats this season, in league play.

Only the top three teams at district qualify for the state tournament; therefore, several schools who have had strong seasons will not advance.

Along with Oak Harbor, Snohomish and Stanwood, other favorites to fight for the state berths include Wesco champion Arlington (14-0), the Northwest Conference’s top seed Ferndale (11-3) and Wesco’s Edmonds-Woodway (12-3).

Arlington was ranked fourth, Ferndale sixth, Snohomish ninth and Oak Harbor 12th in the Washington State Volleyball Coaches Association poll last month.

Oak Harbor 3, Shorewood 0

The Wildcats sandwiched a pair of “easy” 25-12 wins around a tight contest in the second game, 28-26, to sweep the Thunderbirds (3-12) in the regular-season finale.

Sophomore Payton Parks filled up the stat sheet with eight kills, 11 digs, two blocks and an eye-popping 14 aces.

Morgan Pease added eight kills, six digs and two blocks; and Leielle Salinger had six kills, eight digs and two aces.

Gredina DeGuzman finished with 13 digs, and Annie Salinger collected 22 assists and four aces.