Sequim’s volleyball squad opened its delayed 2020-2021 season with a sweep of Klahowya, then lost a five-set thriller to league rival Kingston a day later.

On Feb. 17, the Wolves got 13 kills and three block from Jayla Julmist in her first game competition in two years, and another seven kills and to blocks from Kendall Hastings as Sequim topped the host Klahowya Eagles in Silverdale, 25-12, 25-14 and 26-24.

Kalli Wiker paced the team’s offense with 21 assists and was 15-for-15 on serves, with two aces. Amanda Weller was 18-for-18 on serves and tied Wiker with a team-high six digs.

A day later, Sequim had 17 aces and served 91 percent but lost tiebreakers in the fourth and fifth game in a close loss to Kingston (25-20, 15-25, 23-25, 26-24 and 16-14).

“We were up in that (fourth) game and let them back in it, that was a little disappointing,” Sequim coach Jennie Webber Heilman said.

Weller, who finished with a team-high eight aces, had a nine-point serving run with four aces in the first set, Webber Heilman said.

“She got us right back into the game. And she had a seven-point serving run in the second game and a six-point run in the third.”

Wiker had 20 assists and 15 digs playing defense in the front and back row.

Julmist paced the team with 14 kills.

She had some boomer hits and some back slides that had everybody saying, ‘Wow,” Webber Heilman said.

Kendall Hastings added 10 kills and a team-high five blocks, and older sister McKenna Hastings was 17-of-18 serving with a pair of aces.

Lindsay Swanson added a team-high 19 digs and chipped in three aces.

“We are going to have to get over this if it carried over from last season where we had a lot of close games but were unable to finish strong,” Webber Heilman said.

See footage of SHS volleyball matches at youtube.com/channel/UC3dBRHPxF0iG49d9CDOfoQQ.

Coming up

Sequim gets back-to-back-to-back-to-back matches starting at Olympic (Silverdale) on Feb. 24 before home matches against East Jefferson (Feb. 25), rival Port Angeles (Feb. 26) and North Kitsap (Feb. 27); each varsity match starts at 6:15 p.m.