Lady Whalers finish fifth in 3A, earn sportsmanship award, honors

Barrow High School’s Lady Whalers closed out their season with a set of results that pointed to more than a good finish. The volleyball team placed fifth in 3A, won the Sportsmanship Award and added another statewide honor when senior Arlene Unutoa was named to the state all-tournament team.

The school’s homepage framed the finish as a team achievement built on effort and composure, saying the Lady Whalers played every match tough and with spirit. That mattered in a 3A bracket where a fifth-place result still puts a North Slope program in the middle of Alaska’s competitive high school volleyball field, not on the outside looking in.

Unutoa’s all-tournament selection gave the season a clear individual headline. As a senior, she ended her high school career with statewide recognition that matched the impact she had already shown for Barrow. Alaska Sports Report’s coverage of the 2023 ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Class 3A Volleyball State Championships also listed Arlene Unutoa on the all-tournament team, showing that her standing as one of the state’s top 3A players was not a one-time surge.

Barrow’s run also included a regional championship, earned after a 3-1 final-match win. That result gave the Lady Whalers a postseason lift before they reached the state stage and underscored how much the team improved when the pressure rose. For a program in Utqiaġvik, the combination of a regional title, a fifth-place state finish and the Sportsmanship Award made the season stand out as a success measured in more than wins and losses.

The school also thanked head coach Aniseko Unutoa and assistant and JV coach Kawa Danner, a nod to the staff behind the team’s development. The recognition fit the larger role school sports play in North Slope Borough, where the district serves about 1,700 students across 11 schools and says its communities are predominantly Iñupiat. In that setting, a strong volleyball season carries extra weight as a point of pride for students, families and the wider community, and the Lady Whalers left this one with both hardware and momentum heading into the offseason.