That bad habit of starting slow and losing the first set? That wasn’t a problem for Sequim’s Wolves, facing rival Port Angeles for the first time on their newly refurbished courts.

Sequim got a 12-point serving streak from sophomore setter Sydney Clark — including four aces — that set the tone for a three-set sweep (25-12, 25-19, 25-20) of the Roughriders on Oct. 10.

“It was really good to win that first set,” Clark said following the win.

With a raucous fan base rooting them on, the Wolves leapt ahead 19-2 before the Riders closed the gap a bit.

Clark, Sequim’s setter, finished the match 21-for-22 on serves with five aces. She added eight digs and 21 assists.

Jolene Vaara led the Wolves offensively, going 10-for-12 on serves with two aces, a perfect pass with 17 kills. Vaara added 13 digs defensively.

Sequim won the game but lost a key piece in the end when middle hitter Arianna Stovall went down with an ankle injury near the end of the second set.

“Arianna’s been playing really well,” Webber Heilman said, particularly at the recent Capital Tournament in Olympia.

Stovall was 4-for-5 on serves with five kills before leaving the match.

Webber Heilman noted that younger players, including Rose Gibson, who subbed in for Stovall against Port Angeles, will have to help fill the gap left by the Wolves’ No. 2 offensive threat. Gibson finished with three kills and a block in relief.

Clark, the Wolves’ lone freshman last year, said SHS’s numerous underclassmen are making key contributions this season.

“It’s fun to see our younger players; [it’s] good to see them stepping up,” Clark said.

Libero Tiffany Lam had six digs while Kassi Montero was 8-for-10 serving with two kills and four digs.

Brianna Palenik also fared well at the service line, with a couple of four-point runs.

Sequim struggled in several matches this season to earn a first set win, a trait Webber Heilman and team members sought to break against the Riders.

“Especially this time of the [season], we can’t afford to play catch-up,” Webber Heilman said.

SHS edges Trojans

Sequim survived a five-set thriller on Oct. 12, topping visiting Olympic 3-2 despite dropping the third and fourth sets.

“The fifth game we went out and took care of business,” Webber Heilman said, as Sequim improved to 8-2 in the Olympic League and 8-3 overall. “The last few games [when] we’ve been to the deciding game, we’ve been on the wrong side of it, so it was good to see the girls respond and finish it out.”

Webber Heilman said Palenik put together a four-point serving run in game five, while Clark, Vaara and Montero each served three-point runs in the final set.

Vaara continued a great stretch of play, leading Sequim with 17 kills, seven stuff blocks and 16 digs. She also served 17-of-19 with seven aces.

“The aces and stuff blocks are probably career highs,” Webber Heilman said.

Clark was 18-for-18 from the service line with three aces, and added 26 assists. Gibson was excellent on serves as well, going 22-for-23 with six aces and two kills. Montero had a solid all-around game with four aces, five digs and three kills, while Palenik was 17-for-19 on serves with five aces, six kills and six digs.

Looking ahead

Sequim was slated to play at Olympic League rival North Kitsap on Oct. 17; results were not available at press time.

The Wolves are at Bainbridge on Oct. 19.

Sequim’s Senior Night and final home game is set for Oct. 24 against Bremerton.

The Wolves cap the regular season on Oct. 26 at Kingston before vying for a state tourney berth at the West Central District tournament set for Nov. 2-4 in Sammamish.

Sequim sophomore Sydney Clark surprises the Port Angeles defense with a spike for a point in the Wolves’ three-set sweep of the Roughriders in Sequim on Oct. 10.

Sequim Gazette photoS by Michael Dashiell Sequim teammates congratulate Rose Gibson, center, after scoring a point in the third set of an Oct. 10 sweep of Port Angeles.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / As teammate Tiffany Lam, left, looks on, Sequim’s Ashton Reichner returns a Port Angeles serve as the Wolves take on — and beat — the Roughriders in an Oct. 10 league match-up.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / As Sequim teammates look on, Kenzi Berglund (center) rises up for a spike in an Oct. 10 Olympic League match against Port Angeles.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Rose Gibson, right, looks to block a volley by Port Angeles’ Mary Halberg in an Oct. 10 Olympic League match.