It was a tough battle on the volleball court Thursday night from beginning to end.  The 1st set began with the first point of the game being a long rally back and forth.  Eastlake won on a tip.  This seemed to be their specialty all night long.  Bellevue was down 0-2 and got a side out on a back row kill by Callie Weber.  Two deep back row service aces by Katie Griffin along with a back row killl put Bellevue up 5-3.  The Wolverines continued to lead the pack 9-4 with Weber hitting a solid shot off of Eastlakes block and on the next point a well placed chip by Ally Witham.  The Lady Wolves kept themselves in the match by utilizing their tipping game; score at this point was 13-8.  Weber sailed into the air and got Bellevue another point by hitting off of the Eastlake block again.  Then Eastlake came back with a deep shot into our back left corner and followed it with a stuff, kill, and a few more tips.  Score is now 17-14, Wolverines still with the lead.  Next point was going back and forth when Eastlake chipped a short shot and Katie Griffin dived on the floor and pancaked the ball back up.  She jumped up into ready position as Eastlake popped the ball back up over the net and Griffin leaped into the air and slammed it down!  GO BELLEVUE- 18-14.  Holly Huard came into the game and had a nice kill, then another kill by Griffin.  However the Lady Wolves stayed stealthy with their tipping at the net and once again stayed in it, making the score 21-21.  Eastlake had a kill taking the lead, then Griffin went up again and mixed up her game with a nice tip as well.  Score now 22-22.  Bellevue lost the next point making it 22-23, but our Wolverines never gave up and in the next point Ally Witham had a great kill followed by a kill by Weber, but the Lady wolves finished us off with a tip.  Final score being Lady Wolves 25, Bellevue Wolverines 23.

 

Onto Set 2!  Iva Dedijer started us off with a nice tip and Bellevue took the lead 2-1.  The next series of points went back and forth.  Some for the Lady Wolves and some for the Bellevue Wolverines.  Bellevue was down 5-7 when Witham leaped into the air and spiked the ball down and finished off the point with a solid stuff block!  6-7 Bellevue Wolverines hanging in!  Eastlake battled back making it 7-9.  Over the course of the next few points, Weber fired several great line shots and another great kill by Griffin put the Wolverines up 14-11.  Alexis Khuu had a great run of serves and also a great dig.  Eastlake got the Wolverines on a tip again making the score 18-13, the Wolverines still leading the pack.  Sophia Knapp had some solid passes helping her team set up the play for more kills.  Ali Witham had a nice deep serve to bring Bellevue to a 20-17 lead.  Another solid line shot by Weber, another tip by the Lady Wolves and then another perfect line shot by Griffin takes us to 22-19.  More tipping from the Lady Wolves and a few mistakes by the Wolverines takes us now to 23-23.  What a game!  What would our Wolverines do?  They would do what we know they are capable of - they would close the deal!  Denali Conway was ready for the tip from the Lady wolves and she deflected it down!  24-23 Wolverines!  Katie Griffin stepped back to serve and delivers a bullet to middle back; the Lady Wolves couldn’t handle it and the Wolverines win 25-23. 

 

Set 3:  Once again this set proved to be a good one as the score was tight throughout.  The Wolverines had 10-4 lead when Eastlake hit the Wolverines with a line shot.  The Lady Wolves were starting to adjust their coverage and handle our kills down the line so Griffin adjusted and killed the next ball crosscourt bringing the score to 11-5.  Witham had another great kill, but a few mistakes by the Wolverines enabled the Lady Wolves back into the game and now the score 16-17.  Iva Dedijer had another nice tip, but a few more mistakes and some miscommunication amongst the Wolverines led the score to be 18-21 with the Lady Wolves ahead.  Griffin slammed a ball down the line taking the team to 19-21.  Witham adjusted well to covering a Lady Wolves tip and followed it with a nice block.  Score now 22-23.  The Wolverines kept it close, but couldn’t pull back into the lead.  Lady Wolves took the set 25-22.

 

Set 4:  Another intense set started off with a few mistakes by the Wolverines but some good adjustment to tip coverage.  A great block by Conway and Witham brought the score to Wolverines 4, Lady Wolves 2.  A graceful left tip by right handed Weber gave us another point.  The Lady Wolves recharged and took the lead for the rest of the game.  The Wolverines kept in it maintaining a point difference of less than two for quite a while.  However the Lady Wolves maintained their lead and concluded the game with a win of 25-19.  With the Lady Wolves taking the match tonight 3 games to 1 to finish the night.