Up two sets to one but in a massive hole in the fourth, the Wolves found their way to win — at the service line.

Sequim overcame a 16-7 deficit to overwhelm Kingston in the fourth and final set on Oct. 3, getting a victory in the first match on newly-refurbished floors in the Rick Kaps Gymnasium.

The Wolves topped the visiting Buccaneers 21-25, 25-18, 25-23 and 25-20, thanks in great part to sharp serving throughout, helping Sequim stay tied with Bainbridge for second place in the league standings behind No. 11-ranked North Kitsap.

“[Serving is] our thing,” Sequim coach Jennie Webber Heilman said. “We were making our serves when we needed to.”

Sydney Clark had 27 assists and served 13-for-13 with two aces. She and Brianna Palenik sparked the run of serves in the fourth game; Clark had a four-point run, and Palenik followed that up with a five-point streak with three aces.

In the second game, Arianna Stovall had a seven-point serving run that helped change the momentum of the match, Webber Heilman noted.

Stovall also had four blocks to pace the defense, going 19-for-21 with two aces on serves.

“Arianna played great at the net,” Webber Heilman said.

Palenik finished with six kills, six digs and was 13-for-16 serving with five aces.

Jolene Vaara added 10 kills, five digs, three stuff blocks and served 9-for-9 with an ace.

Communication was key to the win, Vaara said: “It took a while but we were able to come back [in the fourth game].”

Tiffany Lam had an acrobatic five digs.

“She made some some pretty great saves; she was moving really well on the court,” Webber Heilman said.

Kassi Montero added seven kills, five digs and served 14-for-16 with two aces.

Webber Heilman said the Wolves seem to struggle to get going in matches, having lost the opening game in all but two matches this season.

“We’re young; it’s just a matter of going with a different mindset,” she said.

Vaara noted that the team is looking at some things such as team-bonding exercises to help get the energy up for those first games.

There was plenty of energy coming from the Sequim fans last week, she said, as a rowdy SHS section of the bleachers looked to boost the Wolves to a win to inaugurate the new playing surface.

“We’re definitely grateful for the the new courts,” Vaara said, [and] it always feels good to have that support over there.”

SHS sweeps Bulldogs

The Wolves overcame their tendency to start slow with a three-set sweep of host North Mason on Oct. 5, winning 25-20, 25-19 and 25-18.

Vaara led the SHS offense with 18 kills — half of them in the second set alone — and Clark added 28 assists.

“Sydney was setting well,” Webber Heilman said of her sophomore setter.

Palenik went 9-for-9, all coming on a nine-point in the conclusive third set.

Looking ahead

The Wolves (6-2 in Olympic League, 6-3 overall) were scheduled to host Port Angeles on Oct. 10.

Sequim takes on Olympic at home on Oct. 12 and is at league rival North Kitsap on Oct. 17.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Jolene Vaara, left, tips a shot past Kingston’s Brooke Steele in an Olympic League match-up on Oct. 3. Vaara’s Wolves won in four games.

Sequim’s Arianna Stovall, left, looks to block a shot by Kingston’s Lucy Patricio in an Oct. 3 league match-up.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Sydney Clark, left, sets teammate Kassi Montero in an Oct. 3 win over Kingston.

Sequim Gazette photos by Michael Dashiell Sequim’s Brianna Palenik, second from left, gets congratulated by teammates (from left) Jolene Vaara, Sydney Clark and Kassi Montero after scoring a point in an Oct. 3 win over Kingston.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / As teammate Tiffany Lam, left, looks on, Sequim’s Kenzi Berglund looks to return a serve in an Oct. 3 win over Kingston.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim High head coach Jennie Webber Heilman talks with her squad in an Oct. 3 match against Kingston. The Wolves won in four games.