PREP VOLLEYBALL: Top-seeded Kellogg upset on first day of 3A district tourney

KELLOGG — On a day of upsets, the fourth-seeded Priest River Spartans pulled the biggest one, surprising the host and top-seeded Kellogg Wildcats 25-23, 25-19, 11-25, 25-18 in the second round of the 3A District 1-2 tournament Friday at Andrews Gymnasium. 

Priest River (10-6) will play No. 3 seed Grangeville (7-6) in the championship match today at noon. Grangeville pulled an upset of its own, downing No. 2 seed Orofino 19-25, 15-25, 25-18, 26-24, 15-12 earlier Friday in a reverse sweep.

Sophomore Paige Yrjana had 12 kills and 25 digs, junior Dani Henrikson 13 kills for the top-seeded Wildcats against Priest River. 

“We were just pretty error ridden,” Kellogg coach Stephanie Batchelder said. “We were serving and hitting the ball into the net and played super timid and scared to make a mistake. Priest River was scrappy, but this was really on us.” 

Sophomore Ella Yrjana had 17 assists and six aces, sophomore Jordyn Stutzke 20 digs and senior Aubree Groth five blocks for Kellogg (17-8), which faces Orofino in a loser-out match today at 2 p.m.

The winner faces the Priest River-Grangeville loser at 5 p.m. in the second-place match for a berth in a state play-in match next Saturday at Grangeville. 

In the first match of the day, Priest River beat No. 5 St. Maries 31-29, 25-17, 25-15 in a loser out match. 

Raevyn Yearout had nine kills and three aces for St. Maries (7-18). Mia Asbury added four kills, seven assists, six digs and a block, Brenna Elliott had 11 assists and 13 digs, Allie Zook eight digs and two aces, Emma Tefft six digs, Naomi Mueller two aces, Meijah Yearout one block.