Highline sports teams had a good week, with each team moving into or holding onto first place in their divisions.

The women’s soccer team remains on top of the NWAC West standings at 7-0-1 overall and 5-0-1 in conference. The T-Birds beat Lower Columbia 2-0 and gained a forfeit victory over Grays Harbor. 

The Lower Columbia game was a defensive showdown, with only eight shots on goal in total between the two clubs. 

The two goals from the Lady T-Birds came from Meredith Udovich in the 15th minute, and Dakne Blanco-Ramirez in the 27th minute. 

The T-Birds are off until Oct. 16 when they play at Tacoma.

The men’s team bounced back against Tacoma after having lost their last two outings, winning 2-1 on two goals from Alex Velasco. 

Coupled with a forfeit win over Pierce, Highline took over the top spot in the NWAC West at 4-3, 6-3 overall.

The team will be on the road to take on the 1-6-0 South Puget Sound Clippers on Oct. 9 at 2:15 p.m., before hosting third-place Bellevue (1-3-2) next Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Starfire in Tukwila. 

The volleyball team swept Tacoma 3-0 last Friday, putting them tied for first with Pierce in the NWAC West at 3-0. 

Earlier, the Lady T-Birds swept Green River, 3-0, on their way to three straight victories. 

Against Tacoma, Bethany Tuchardt led the team with 14 kills and two blocks, while Khadijah Morgan added 12 kills.

“Khadijah Morgan is a very dynamic hitter for the team on the right side. Her hits are hard for opponents to pick up considering her fast arm swing and smart ball placement,” said teammate Rebecca Zenger.

Some of the Lady T-Birds also won NWAC awards this week, with Lauren Clark receiving NWAC setter of the week and Tuchardt receiving NWAC player of the week.

First place will be on the line when Highline visits Pierce at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8. They travel to third place Lower Columbia (2-1, 7-4) on Wednesday, Oct. 13. 

“Our team’s approach has shifted since beginning conference play from learning how we play to executing with purpose,” said Zenger.

The T-Birds hosted South Puget Sound on Wednesday, with results unavailable at press time. 

The 2021 women’s golf team is looking forward to competing in the Spokane Invitational on Oct 11-12 in Indian Canyon.