The playoff picture tightened Tuesday night on the South Puget Sound League North Division volleyball court.
Kentridge, behind 22 assists from setter Michelle Boscole and eight kills from Manisha Walia, turned back Jefferson in four games 25-16, 15-25, 25-22, 25-14. Kentridge’s victory coupled with Kent-Meridian’s four-game win over Kentwood (24-26, 25-12, 25-15, 25-17) moved the Chargers (3-3 in league, 8-3 overall) and the Royals (3-3, 3-7) into a two-way tie for fourth place in the SPSL North.
Kent-Meridian was paced by Cherene O’Hara, who collected 11 kills and six blocks while setter Morgan De Carteret added 33 assists.
The top five teams in advance to the SPSL tournament, which is slated for Oct. 31.
As of press time Thursday afternoon, Tahoma (3-4, 4-7) was right behind Kentridge and Kent-Meridian for the fifth-and-final playoff berth.
The loss to the Royals was Kentwood’s second straight. The Conquerors (5-2, 9-3) had their 56-match SPSL North winning streak snapped last week against AR.
Meanwhile, Kentlake (2-4, 3-9) fell to Auburn Riverside in three games on Tuesday night — 25-15, 25-19, 25-16.
Only one round of league matches remains and is slated for Monday (Oct. 26). Kentlake will finish out the regular season by playing host to Kentwood while Kentridge will be at Kent-Meridian.
SOCCER: Defensive-minded KW wins again
The Kentwood High girls soccer team put on another defensive show on Tuesday night.
Kentwood’s Charlee Crook found the net in the 47th minute on an assist from Dana Wareham, and that proved to be all the Conquerors would need in a 1-0 South Puget Sound League North Division win over Auburn.
Kentwood’s Courtney Johnson and Megan Walburn combined in goal on the shutout, the duo’s 11th of the season. The Conquerors (9-0-3, 30 points as of press time on Thursday afternoon) have outscored their opponents 34-1 this season.
With the win, the second-place Conquerors inched slightly closer to first-place Tahoma (10-0-2, 32 points), which tied Kentlake on Tuesday night 1-1. The Bears and the Conquerors met for the final time during the regular season on Thursday, several hours after the Reporter’s press deadline.
Kentlake (7-4-2, 23 points) tied its game with Tahoma in the 74th minute, when Katherine Miccile went in unassisted. The tie could come in handy for the Falcons, who entered play on Thursday night in third place, three points ahead of Auburn Riverside (5-2-5, 20 points) and Kentridge (6-5-2, 20 points).
The top three teams from the SPSL North earn automatic berths to the district playoffs. The fourth-place team from the North has to face the fourth-place from the South for the final district berth.
Kentridge remains alive for one of the final two berths thanks to its 4-1 win on Tuesday over Kent-Meridian. Kayla Berg, Amy Hansen, Hannah Jorgenson and Natalie Spadafora all scored goals for the Chargers. Kent-Meridian’s Ashlann Wood scored the Royals’ lone goal of the game in the 72nd minute. It is Wood’s second goal of the season.
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