Lake Stevens, Wash. A tightly contested contest unfolded Thursday evening at Lake Stevens High School, pitting two top Wesco 4A volleyball teams against one another in a match that delivered intensity and drama.

Both the Knights and Vikings entered the gym with identical conference records and only two setbacks apiece on their overall slate. What unfolded was a match decided by just one point in the final set, with Kamiak edging past Lake Stevens 3–2 (17–25, 25–19, 14–25, 25–12, 15–13).

The Knights improved to 9–2 overall and 4–0 in league play, capturing their first triumph over the Vikings since 2015. The setback dropped Lake Stevens to 9–3 and 3–1 in conference action.

Senior outside hitter Ivanna Kozodoy reflected on the program’s long-standing rivalry with the Vikings, noting a pattern of narrow defeats in recent years. “We’ve been going against Lake every single year. We’re always in their conference,” she said. “We keep taking them, barely losing, taking them, barely losing, and this year, we just got fed up. We were like, ‘Nope, this isn’t happening again.’”

The outcome hinged on the fifth set, where Kamiak surged ahead with a 9–4 lead early, fueled by a burst of offensive efficiency. Senior Cadence Bigby delivered seven kills during the fourth set’s 25–12 surge, which shifted momentum decisively in the Knights’ favor.

Lake Stevens, however, refused to wilt. The Vikings clawed back to tie the deciding frame at 13–13, prompting Knights coach Jeffrey Choe to call a final timeout. His message to the squad was clear: compete without hesitation.

“I told them that we want to play,” Choe explained. “I don’t care if we win the point or lose the point. We get to play more, and that we’re going to have to go, and we’re going to have to scrap, stay aggressive, and they did.”

The effort paid off. A Kozodoy service reception set up a crisp setup from senior setter Skyla Major, who found Bigby for a go-ahead kill. After an extended rally featuring strong defensive plays from both squads, Lake Stevens’ final attack sailed long, sealing the win for Kamiak.

Bigby paced the Knights with 25 kills and 22 digs. Major contributed 23 assists and three aces, while freshman Elin Braddock matched her with 20 assists. Kozodoy anchored the back line with 26 digs, and junior Annika Hastings added four blocks at the net.

Bigby emphasized how the team’s cohesion developed over the season. “This season, we just have really been working on playing as a team and finally coming together instead of playing for ourselves,” she said. “That unity really brought it together at the end, pushing through with each other instead of going it alone.”

On the Vikings’ side, junior Ella Iseminger starred with a match-high 30 kills and 17 digs. Her sister, junior Audrey Iseminger, added 18 assists, while junior Miah Congdon distributed 26 sets, logged eight aces, and knocked down four kills. Freshman Maia Aiwohi also chipped in 18 assists.

Vikings coach Kyle Hoglund acknowledged Kamiak’s strong performance and the fine margins that defined the match. “Give it to Kamiak, they showed up and played well,” he said. “It was a tough match, back-and-forth. We had some serves go away, some solid hits, and a few unforced errors. It’s just the game of volleyball, it happens fast.”

The opening set began with a sluggish pace, as both squads exchanged errors to reach a 5-5 tie. Kamiak briefly pulled ahead to 9-7 following a pair of assists from Braddock that led to kills, yet Lake Stevens soon responded to level the score. The Vikings then strung together five consecutive points to establish a 15-10 advantage. Two kills from Ella Iseminger were followed by a diving save from Audrey Iseminger, which set up a point for junior Audrey Deller, while an ace from Congdon further widened the margin. Continued scoring from Ella Iseminger allowed the Vikings to maintain their lead, eventually securing a 25-17 victory in the frame.

Lake Stevens opened the second set with a 5-0 run, but the Knights began to close the gap with contributions from multiple players. Points from Bigby, junior Lily Anderson, and sophomore Everly Ruck narrowed the score to 12-10. Following a Vikings error, an ace from Major leveled the contest at 12-12. After trading advantages, a hard dig by Kozodoy set up a Bigby kill, and a subsequent Bigby ace, aided by a Lake Stevens violation, moved the score to 19-17. Senior Olivia Hamilton sealed the set with an ace, followed by a dig that led to Bigby's match-clinching kill, resulting in a 25-19 win that tied the overall match at one set apiece.

Kozodoy discussed the team's adjustment after the opening frame, stating that they relied on mutual trust to recover from errors. She noted that players supported one another through mistakes and pushed through challenges together.

The Vikings opened the third set with momentum, as Congdon recorded four aces and Deller added a block to build a 6-0 lead. Lake Stevens maintained this advantage, with the Iseminger sisters and Congdon coordinating plays to accumulate points. Ella Iseminger finished the set with three consecutive kills, securing a 25-14 victory to give her team a 2-1 advantage in sets.

The Knights rallied in the fourth set, with consecutive kills from Bigby and a Braddock ace pushing them to a 7-4 lead. Following errors by the Vikings, Bigby delivered two first-ball kills to extend the gap to 16-10. Kamiak then executed a 9-2 run, including several kills from Ruck, to force a deciding set.

Bigby commented on the team's offensive strategy, attributing their ability to attack on the first hit to confidence and court awareness. He explained that players are developing the mental capacity to place the ball effectively while understanding opponent spacing.

The visiting supporters grew louder with each point, and Kamiak drew on that momentum to build a 9-4 advantage in the fifth set. The tide shifted, however, when a kill by a junior followed by a freshman's ace on consecutive points handed Lake Stevens the lead. Two additional kills from a Lake Stevens player, combined with an ace from another teammate, were followed by a block from a junior that leveled the score at 10-10.

The Vikings dug themselves a deficit after two consecutive plays resulted in balls sent out of bounds. An attack from Ella Iseminger pulled the score to a 13-13 tie, but the Knights claimed the next two points to overcome their head-to-head losing streak.

A team official stated that both sides performed well, noting that the match ultimately came down to mentality and focus. The official expressed pride in the team's effort and acknowledged that Lake Stevens has also been working hard, emphasizing that any team can win on any given night.

With five matches remaining in the regular season, Kamiak now holds sole possession of first place in Wesco 4A. A rematch against the Vikings is scheduled for Nov. 3 as the final game of the season, a contest that could serve as a league title decider. The last time Lake Stevens failed to capture the Wesco 4A title was 2015, and Thursday's outcome has left the Knights confident they can end that streak as well.

A team representative commented that the group wants to see how far they can go as a strong team this season, expressing excitement regarding their final placement.