Four UCS high school teams and four junior high teams competed in the Unalaska Crab Pot volleyball tournament over the weekend. This 8-team double elimination tournament stretched over two days. The championship match was an exciting battle between the boy’s high school team, which was a mix of teachers and students, and the Raider varsity team. The boys emerged victorious after 5 sets.
Kent Russel, UCS Math teacher and captain for the boy’s team expressed pride in his squad as well as every player in the competition. “The high school boys enjoyed playing in the tournament and wanted to provide another team with a different set of skills for the girls to compete against,” Russel said. "The girls were able to see some tough serving and back-row hitting which will help them going into the regional tournament.”
Varsity team captain Reanna Marquez, a senior, said that she was proud of the improvement she’s seen during the season, not just within her team but with the junior varsity and junior high teams we well. “Crab Pot was lots of fun. It was fun playing against teams I’ve never played against before. Everyone played really hard in every game. This was everyone’s time to show off their skills in their last weekend of the season and I was impressed,” Marquez stated. She added that this year was a developmental season for them, as the varsity team is comprised primarily of underclassmen. She said that the team made tremendous progress this year, setting the Raiders up for a strong season in 2016.
Several athletes were acknowledged for their skills and hard work during the competition. High school students, K Orteza, Kiara Villamor, Taylor Holman, LeeAnn Mears, Betsy Escalante, Ciera Ruckman, Matt Faoasau, junior high students Hailey Wilson, Alexis Magalong, Marinolle Acoba, Lizzie Tran, Ruta Sua, Jadrey Reynon, and JR Go made the All-Tourney Team.
The Raiders Varsity Team is led by Coach Amber Wood. They will travel to Anchorage to compete in the ASAA 2A Regional Competition at Lumen Christi Catholic High School from Nov 19-21.