The Mount Si varsity girls’ volleyball team split its matches last week, first losing to Issaquah then regaining its composure to defeat Liberty.

The Issaquah High School girls’ volleyball team started out strong, but the Mount Si Wildcats made the Indians work hard to defeat them three games to one in the Wildcats’ KingCo 3A home opener last Wednesday.

The final scores were 15-11, 15-11, Mount Si winning 15-11, and 18-16. Mount Si coach Bonnie Foote thinks the result could have been different, if the team had better execution.

“They fought hard and they need to execute the things we call in timeouts because we could have won that match,” Foote said of her players.

Issaquah busted out to a huge 12-2 lead in the first game behind the play of Hillary Bates, who had three critical kills.

With the crowd out of it, it seemed as if Issaquah, with only nine players dressed for the match, would easily take care of business. The Wildcats, though, clawed back little by little and junior Maggie Olson keyed the comeback with two straight service aces, which eventually got the ‘Cats to 10-14. But the Wildcats hit it out of bounds on game point.

Game two opened much differently for Mount Si as the Wildcats, behind good serving from Olson, senior Alison Neuschwander and junior Jaclyn Boals and strong play from sophomore Marissa Hill and senior Randilinn Cason, broke out to a quick 6-0 lead.

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