Lady Loggers suffer first conference loss

The Lady Loggers lost in overtime during their homecoming match this week against Thompson Falls.

The Lady Bluehawks deafeated the Lady Loggers during Tuesday’s homecoming volleyball match with four game of 17-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-22 and in overtime with 11-15.

“It was disappointing to lose our homecoming match, but Thompson Falls is a good team and they played more confident and aggressive than we did in the final set.”

While the defeat came as a blow, Coach Cindy Ostrem-Johnston sees the loss as an opportunity for growth.

“We will learn from the loss and be better because of it,” Ostrem-Johnston said.

Haylee Cannon gave the team four of their overall 12 aces. The team had 54 kills, with Mehki Sykes slamming 16, Brooklyn Rainer with 13 and Jayden Winslow with 11. Alli Collins gave the team 33 assists, and Khalyn Hageness had 12 adding up to the team’s 45 total. Sykes led the team in blocks with two, and Cannon and Rainer each blocked once. The team had 80 kills in total, with Winslow leading with 20, Emma Gruber with 14 and Linsey Walker with 12.

While the first match started off with a slammed spike from Jessika Jones, the Lady Bluehawks came back with a vengeance with five points of their own. The Loggers kept up with the opponents in the first game with a few tricks up their sleeve, with Cannon and Sykes scoring dumps against the team, tricking the opponent’s unsuspecting defensive players.

The home team held onto their creativity and started the second game off 7-2. The Lady Bluehawks were only able to score six points in the time it took the Lady Loggers to score 16, with Winslow providing many kills for the team. The Lady Loggers sealed the game 25-22.

Things took a turn in the third game, when the Lady Bluehawks took an 11 point lead over the loggers 9-20. The Lady Loggers gained a striking amount of momentum along the scoreboard with a series of spikes from the players and aces, bringing the game 20-25.

In the fourth game, the Lady Loggers were able to seal the game for an overtime match, with good volleys displaying the team’s tough offense and defense. With the a tie of 21-21, the Lady Loggers were able to take the lead to the end of the third game, only letting the opponents score once during their swift four point gain.

The team was able to keep up with the Lady Bluehawks throughout the overtime game, staying no more than three points behind them until the last point, which brought the game 11-15.