Central Kitsap is often thought of as one of the dominant volleyball teams in the Narrows League, thanks to having players like Lindsey Fryer of late.

North Kitsap? Not so much.

But that state of mind could change in the near future, as evident from the Narrows League opener between those schools Tuesday.

While CK walked away with the 3-2 win (24-26, 25-15, 25-16, 23-25, 15-11), the Vikings (7-12, 0-2) made sure they earned every point.

“I was proud of the girls for keeping a positive mental attitude throughout the match,” said NK coach Tim French. “We played at a fairly high level most of the night, regardless of the score at the time.”

The Vikings came out ready to roll and swiped the first game right out from under CK, 26-24. With both Vikings game wins being so close, as well as the fifth frame, both French and CK (8-4, 1-0) coach Gordy Bushaw said it was a sign that the Bridge Division may be more competitive than ever before.

“I think that the Bridge Division of the Narrows League is very balanced this year,” Bushaw said. “I don’t expect any easy matches and our match against North Kitsap was a great example.”

Bushaw said his team was able to do a good job of passing on serve-receive and strong defense.

“The keys against North Kitsap were consistent passing on serve-receive and aggressive floor defense,” Bushaw said. “In the three games we won, we got those things and won going away. In the two games we lost, we had some breakdowns in what we normally do well and lost close games.”

While it’s been a little while since North Kitsap handed the Cougars a loss, French said it shows the potential the Vikings carry.

“I don’t know how long it’s been since North beat Central, so it was too bad we couldn’t have taken the last game,” French said. “But again, I was proud of the effort we put forth.”

KC Fossum continued to shine brightly, scoring 20 kills for the Vikes while saving points as well with 9 digs.

“KC Fossum attacked very well and our passing showed improvement as did our court coverage,” French said.

Bushaw agreed that Fossum was probably the largest reason the Cougs had a tough time securing the win. Bushaw was also impressed with the play of North Kitsap’s Kearney Bangs.

“Give KC Fossum credit for hitting well from the outside,” Bushaw said, “and Kearney Bangs credit for serving tough in the games they won.”

Lauren Romero stepped up with 19 digs for NK, while Jasmine Hill served a perfect 16-for-16, adding 4 kills and 4 blocks. Shayla Urie added 6 kills also.

CK was led by Shannon Sumner, who recorded 7 aces and 7 kills. Melissa Liechty scored 18 kills while Theresia Dever had 18 digs. Sumner had 15 digs, while Liechty and Linzy Singleton each turned in 13.

The Vikings also fell Thursday at home to Shelton (6-3, 2-0) in a tight 3-1 match. NK did a good job of keeping it close, but simply couldn’t get a break when needed. The Vikes came out and took the opener, 25-22, before losing the next three sets, 23-25, 24-26, 18-25.

The Vikings will travel to Gig Harbor (5-4) Tuesday.