Pirates defend home court with volleyball invite title

After a tight, three-set loss to Campbellsport in pool play of the Pirate Invite at Port Washington on Saturday, the Port Washington High School volleyball team fell behind in a rematch for the title.

This time, however, the Pirates fought back. Port won, 25-27, 25-17, 15-8, to win the invite for the second straight season.

Senior Sierra Hoeft had 13 kills and Scarlett Van Harpen had 10. Hoeft had 16 assists and Harlow Albiero had 12. Emersyn Loose had 27 digs and Myla Giese had 11.

Port went 5-1 on the day, sweeping Fuller Collegiate Academy, University School of Milwaukee and Ozaukee. Port beat Wrightstown, 2-1, and split three-set matches with Campbellsport.

“The girls were overall very consistent. We worked hard all week on refining our skills and working on the small things — intentionality, connections, and intensity,” Port coach Cathleen Flannery said.

Hoeft, she said, was the team’s most valuable player on Saturday.

“Sierra proves to be a leader on and off the court time and time again,” Flannery said. “She is our go to player when things get rocky to help keep us steady. She is one of our team captains and has proven that she really leads her teammates to be better both on the court, mentally and emotionally.”

Port, 11-9 overall and 1-2 in the Glacier Trails Conference, was to host Kewaskum on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Port plays in an Oostburg invite on Saturday, Oct. 3, and at Howards Grove on Monday, Oct. 5.

Ozaukee goes 1-2 in invite

Ozaukee went 1-2 in the Port Invite, getting swept by the Pirates and University School of Milwaukee, 24, 26-, 25-23, 15-5. The Warriors swept Milwaukee Juneau.

Maddie Barnes had 17 kills on the day, and Adalyn Krenek had 14. Barnes had 25 digs. Trahern Bartels had 19. Becca Marini and Helen Utecht each had 18, and Krenek had 15. Utecht had 41 assists and served six aces. Barnes served five and Bartels had four.

Ozaukee last Thursday swept Kohler on the road, 25-22, 25-16, 25-21.

Barnes hit .333 and had 11 kills. Kennedy Brown had 10 kills and Krenek had five. Bartels had 21 digs, Barnes had 16 and Kenedeigh Harness had 13. Utecht had 31 assists.

“We probably had one of our most complete games against them,” coach Amy Barnes said. “We’re just playing really good defense. We had 80 digs on them, which is a lot for three sets.”

The Warriors had 10 aces and only six missed serves on 73 attempts. Bartels hasn’t missed a serve.

“We’re serving really well on the season, about 90%. “We’re putting teams in a defensive position,” Barnes said, adding that was a focus after struggling last year.

Ozaukee is playing without 6 feet, 1-inch Kendyl Schmitz, who is out for the season with a back injury. Her sister, 5-10 Leighton, took her spot in the middle.

Ozaukee was to play at Cedar Grove-Belgium on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at a tournament full of Division 1 and 2 schools in Brookfield on Saturday, Oct. 3, and at Oostburg on Tuesday, Oct. 6.