Blaine volleyball off to strong start

By Ian Ferguson

The Blaine girls volleyball team has a strong group of seniors who have their sights set on a state tournament run this season.

Six seniors are leading the team, spearheading a mindset of hard work and consistency, according to head coach Bryan Clausen.

With several tournament wins, the Borderites are better than their 1–1 record suggests. The team traveled to Lynden for a tournament on September 12 and went 2–2–1, losing in the semifinals to Stanwood, who went on to win the tournament.

“There were ebbs and flows, but the girls played great overall,” Clausen said.

Blaine lost to Sehome 19–25, 25–19 to start the day. Then they split games with Stevenson, losing 27–26 and winning 25–17. Next they beat Marysville Getchell 26–24, and went on to defeat Lynden in three games: 25–21, 21–25 and 15–7. The Borderites lost to Stanwood 25–9, 25–19 in the semifinals.

Last week, Blaine traveled to Mount Baker for a non-league game and won 26–24, 25–19 and 25–16.

“Mount Baker has a good team,” Clausen said. “We lost to them last year, and this year they are really scrappy and tough opponents. We won because we were able to keep the ball in play and we served really well.”

Clausen said his team’s service and hit-consistency have improved since last season.

“The girls are really focused and they’re working really hard,” he said. “They’re putting in the effort everyday in practice, and it’s showing in how they handle themselves on the court.”

Kirsten Larsen, Brittany Newton, Krimson Rector, Madison Conrad, Dacia Blanco and Paulina Nuñez are the seniors on the team.

“The seniors are doing a great job of keeping up the pace and work ethic of the entire team,” Clausen said. “They really want to go to state.”

Blaine’s first league game is Thursday, September 17 at home versus Sedro-Woolley. The cubs are 1–1 so far this season.

“They’ve improved a lot since last year, so it will be a tough match,” Clausen said.

The match starts at 7 p.m.