Inspired win

Coeur d’Alene High standout outside hitter Kama Griffitts had an expanded fan club at the Vikings’ Inland Empire League match Thursday against crosstown rival Lake City.

Griffitts’ older sister, Jenna Leggat, is a 6-foot junior outside hitter for Weber State University. Leggat and her teammates stopped by Elmer Jordan Court to watch Kama after arriving in town for a tournament tonight and Saturday at Gonzaga.

Griffitts and the Vikings didn’t disappoint as Coeur d’Alene was too much for the Timberwolves. The Vikings swept 26-24, 25-14, 25-14 before an estimated crowd of 600.

“It was an inspiration to have my sister and her team here,” Griffitts said. “I look up to her so much. It’s just awesome that she and her team came over to support me.”

Griffitts had a team-high eight kills as CdA (6-0, 3-0) fended off the T-Wolves (2-1, 2-1) in a tightly contested first game before pulling away easily in the second and third games.

She didn’t get her first kill until late in the first game. Her second kill, a well-placed hit down the line, gave CdA a 24-23 lead. Her next kill came on game point.

In the second game, CdA led 8-6 before it started pulling away. A dink from senior setter Natalie Stewart coupled with a kill from Griffitts gave the Vikings a 15-8 lead.

LC rallied briefly, pulling within 15-12. CdA responded with seven straight points.

In the third game, LC pulled within 10-8 behind an ace from junior Britta Forsythe. But a 9-2 run allowed the Vikings to essentially squelch any hopes of an LC comeback.

Stewart, who had a school-record 44 assists in a big win Tuesday over Sandpoint, had 25 assists against LC, many coming off difficult passes.

“She made some great sets and really made some good stuff from her knees,” CdA coach Carly Curtis said. “She really worked our offense. She did a good job moving the ball around where it needed to be.”

Curtis thought her team had better stretches of execution against LC than it did against Sandpoint two nights earlier.

“I think we played smoother and not as frantic. Tuesday we were a little more frantic,” Curtis said. “Our ball control was better and we had a lot more communication on our offense.”

Forsythe led LC with six kills and four blocks.

Despite the loss, LC coach Jen Kelly couldn’t fault her team’s effort.

“It’s the game of volleyball. It’s always going to have its ups and downs and its swings,” Kelly said. “I thought we had great highs and our lows are fixable. We just need more court time.”

•In other IEL matches, visiting Lewiston overcame Post Falls in a five-game match after the Bengals dropped the first two games. Savannah Blinn led Lewiston with 16 kills, six aces and four blocks. Teammate Paige Schlader had 24 assists and 13 digs. … At Moscow, Sandpoint swept the host Bears 3-0. Outside hitter Piper Wahlin led Sandpoint with 11 kills. Libero Abby Helander had 21 digs.

•In non-league play involving Greater Spokane League teams, five-time defending State 4A champion Mead outlasted host Lewis and Clark – the state runner-up the last two years – 25-18, 23-25, 25-17, 23-25, 16-14; Central Valley defeated host University 3-1; and visiting Gonzaga Prep swept Ferris while host East Valley did the same to North Central.

•In Intermountain League play, Bree Arrhenius had 13 kills and Michelle Gidry had 10 assists to lead the St. Maries Lumberjacks to a 25-11, 25-15, 25-21 victory over the Bonners Ferry Badgers at Bonners Ferry. … At Kellogg, Brianna Feuchsel and Chelsea Hoffman had six kills apiece and Hailey Fuller had eight aces to lead the Wildcats past the Timberlake Tigers 25-13, 25-9, 19-25, 25-18.

Girls soccer

Kendra Johnson scored four goals and assisted on another to lead Bonners Ferry to an 8-0 Intermountain League victory over visiting Priest River.

•Kerry Moller scored two goals and Brooke Mosman and Harper Hightower also scored to give Moscow a 4-0 Inland Empire League win over visiting Lewiston.

Boys soccer

Moscow defeated Lewiston 11-0 in IEL play at Lewiston.