Spartans defeat Newport Knights in thrilling four-set volleyball match

On Tuesday, September 24, Skyline High School Spartan girls’ varsity volleyball team defeated the Newport Knights in a fast paced, match that took four sets to settle.

The first set belonged to Newport as Skyla Chon opened with precision serving, resulting in an early 2-1 lead for the Knights.

Refusing to give up, the Spartans answered, point-for-point resulting in a 25-25 tie. A well-timed block from Layla Morisseau broke the stalemate, eventually allowing Newport to win the first set 27-25.

The Spartans, determined to bounce back, dominated the second set quickly, taking a 15-4 lead. Lexi Notton delivered a powerful spike for the Knights to close the gap slightly, 21-11. But momentum was no longer on Newport’s side. The Spartans dominated the second set with a 25-12 win.

The third set saw the Knights regroup and attempt to perform as before. With both teams laser focused on precise play, Newport’s Peyton Kim broke an 8-8 tie to put the Knights on top, 9-8. But that was the last time the Knights claimed the lead.

The Spartans answered with an ace from Auburn commit Emma Gutke. The change in momentum allowed Skyline to reverse the lead to their advantage, 20-15. Though Newport continued to add a point here and there, Skyline eventually closed the set with a spike set up by Piper Hawryluk to Gutke to win the third set.

While Skyline had a 2-1set advantage going into the fourth, the Knights did not surrender.  A spike from Tinsley Versteeg gave Newport an early 3-0 lead. With a combination of aces from Gutke as well as long rallies that pushed both teams, it was not long before Skyline regained the lead, 10-6. Despite excellent blocking from Newport’s tallest player, Elizabeth Sugden, Skyline held the visitors to just 15 points in the final set to deliver a 25-15 win.

The Skyline Spartans play the Mt. Si Wildcats on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. at Mt. Si.