Crunch time for Mount Si volleyball in playoff hunt | Photo Gallery

Mount Si was down by two sets and needed a third to stay alive—which they did last week in intense, nail-biting fashion. The volleyball team faced a real challenge last Tuesday, Oct. 28, against Skyline. Mount Si had bested them earlier in the season, and the Spartans, hosting, tall and athletic, were out for blood.

By Seth Truscott • November 4, 2014 6:21 pm

Mount Si was down by two sets and needed a third to stay alive—which they did last week in intense, nail-biting fashion.

The volleyball team faced a real challenge last Tuesday, Oct. 28, against Skyline. Mount Si had bested them earlier in the season, and the Spartans, hosting, tall and athletic, were out for blood.

As the tally neared 25, both teams tied, then traded serves back and forth four times seeking that elusive final point. Sophomore Katie Larson kept them in it with a streak of aces, while the varsity upperclasswomen, led by Anna McCreadie, claimed the set, 29-27.

But Skyline’s height and athletic defense finally delivered for the Spartans. They took the fourth set, 25-21.

“We did a good job of not rolling over and dying,” said McCreadie. “We worked hard, we fought for that game. Sometimes things don’t go your way, you don’t get where you want to be. That means we just have to get back in that gym tomorrow and work harder. We get better, and prepare for the league tournament.”

That night, “We learned a lot,” said freshman Tati Utley.

“They had a big block. We need to cover there, and hit high hands.”

Mount Si expected a challenge from Skyline.

“They’ve got the height, the strength, the strategy,” said Katie Larson. “They were preparing for this game. We beat them in preseason. They were waiting to come back.”

Skyline worked hard, but so did Mount Si. “It was back and forth,” Katie said. “It’s about the intensity of the game and what you put in. You reap what you sow, is what (assistant coach Dave) Bachman tells us. It shows during all our games, especially this game.”

“We knew coming in that we had to fight for it again,” said sophomore Sophie Click, who got six digs, an ace and a block on the night. “We tried our best.”

“The girls did a good job of coming back after those first two games and playing as hard as we could,” said senior Liz Larson. “We did come back and win that third game, that was a huge deal. And then we came back and we were really close in that fourth set. So it was good to see everyone work hard.”

The lesson for her was to “push through the adversity and work really hard to be consistent. Because that’s going to be a big deal,” Larson added.

Seeded fifth, the Mount Si volleyball team won their first meeting in the Kingco 4A tournament, and continue their postseason journey.

In the Kingco 4A tournament, Saturday, Nov. 1, Mount Si beat Issaquah, the fourth seed, in four sets, 20-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-19.

Two nights prior, the girls beat Woodinville in three sets, 25-21, 25-21, 25-23, on Thursday, Oct. 30.

Mount Si’s varsity core is strong. McCreadie, the senior college-signed outside hitter, has been averaging 23 kills a night, while defensive specialist Jenn Rogers has averaged 26 digs a night. Sophomore Courtney Carr has been the consistent assister for the Wildcats, averaging 32 per night in the last week.

Liz Larson delivers digs in the double digits most games, and Hailey Holmberg, Sara Brevick, Click, Cameron Kendall and Utley post numbers of kills, aces and digs.

At press time, Mount Si were set to play Skyline at Skyline’s home gym, 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Above, Mount Si outside hitter Anna McCreadie hammers the ball during round three of the Wildcats’ battle with Skyline last week. Mount Si claimed the set but lost the match.