Crimson Bears Test Defense Against Anchorage Elite
“The girls were not so shell-shocked when we went up to Anchorage,” JDHS coach Arnold Ibias said, reflecting on how his team handled a demanding weekend on the road.
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears navigated a grueling 21-team varsity volleyball tournament in Anchorage over the weekend, facing off against the toughest competition in Alaska. As the lone Southeast team in attendance, the varsity squad opened pool play Friday with matches against Dimond, West Valley, Grace Christian, and Eagle River, the Juneau Independent reported.
The Crimson Bears split their initial four matches. They dropped decisions to West Valley (25-20, 25-20) and Dimond (25-6, 25-17), but secured wins against Eagle River (24-26, 26-24, 15-11) and Grace Christian (11-25, 25-23, 15-13).
Against Dimond, the scoreboard failed to capture the defensive effort put forth by Juneau. “The score probably does not reflect how well we played against Dimond,” Ibias said, noting that the opposing coach burned all four timeouts because the Crimson Bears’ backline defense frustrated their attack. Lacking high flyers on the roster, the team relies on precise passing and reading opposing hitters to neutralize powerhouse offenses. “Having the girls understand that a hard-hit ball is still only one point. Same with a mistake or an error it’s one point and it’s time to move on to the next point,” Ibias explained.
Dimond ultimately captured the Gold Bracket Tournament title by defeating South 2-0 (25-16, 25-20) in the championship match, following earlier bracket wins over Palmer and Kenai. For Juneau, knowing they held their own against the eventual tournament champion served as a major confidence builder.
Silver Bracket Battles and Junior Varsity Action
Moving into the Silver Bracket, JDHS opened with a tight loss to Bartlett (25-23, 25-17). The team bounced back with a 2-0 win over Valdez (25-19, 25-20) before falling in the consolation final to Barrow (25-19, 25-23), finishing second in the bracket’s consolation standings.
Meanwhile, the JDHS junior varsity squad traveled to compete in the Dimond Service JV tournament. After finishing 2-4 across four preliminary pools—including losses to West Valley JV and Dimond JV alongside a victory over Grace Christian JV—the JV team earned a third-place finish in the Silver Bracket. They picked up wins against Eagle River JV and Valdez, with their only bracket loss coming against Kenai JV.
Road Ahead to Ketchikan and Region V
With the Anchorage marathon behind them, the Crimson Bears turn their attention toward the final stretch of the regular season. The team travels to Ketchikan for conference matches Friday and Saturday.
“That is what we have been working on, mental attitude against Ketchikan,” Ibias said. “You cannot take any team lightly, especially if you are going to play them four times in a row. Ketchikan have something to prove and I know they are working hard.”
Following the weekend series in Ketchikan, the Crimson Bears will return home to host the Lady Kings for the Region V Championships on November 6-7. Those matches will determine the 4A Southeast crown and the coveted state tournament bid.
