Taking wins in both their games last week, the Mount Si High School volleyball team recovered last Monday from a slow start to beat first opponent Sammamish.

Scores in the game were 20-25, 25-11, 25-28, 25-18. Aubrey Larion led the way for the Wildcats with eight kills, two blocks, five aces and 14 digs.

Mount Si was looking for a chance to get a breather after some long matches, and last Wednesday, they got that as they hosted the Interlake Saints. The Wildcats dominated for much of the match as they pulled off only their second three-game sweep of the season, 25-14, 25-16, 25-8.

The team “started out a little shaky again, kind of like Sammamish, but came back and just took over the match,” said Mount Si coach Bonnie Foote.

It was a good night for Wildcat junior Robyn Schirmer. She opened the match with four straight service aces, and Mount Si broke out to a quick early lead in game one. Once Interlake got to work, they found their way back into the game, behind the efforts of senior Moe Aoki and freshman Kori Maitlen, among others.

The Wildcats, though, pulled away and locked the door on the frame behind the solid performance of Idaho-bound senior Miranda Pratt. An ace by Amanda Gates helped to seal the deal for Mount Si.

For Gates, a sophomore in her first year of varsity play, it’s all about doing her best.

“I just put all my effort in, try my hardest, and just have a lot of fun,” she said.

Just like Schirmer for the Wildcats in the first frame, Aoki opened the second frame for Interlake with three straight points on serve. The Saints, using that and excellent play from libero Lauren Davis, who overcame early struggles to play a good match for Interlake, were able to maintain advantage in the middle stanza until midway through, when Pratt, Mackenzie Peerboom and Zoe Gogan all picked up kills to help scarlet and gray seize