The Lady Wolverines, coming off a great debut to the 2015 season jumped right into their Kingco league schedule with a match versus cross-town opponent, the Interlake Saints.

 

The Wolverines picked up where they left off Tuesday night with a hot hand, as they jumped out to a 10-5 lead after an Eva Dedijer kill. The Saints hung around until 19-15 when after a long rally, sophomore Callie Weber took it down the line for a 20-15 lead. The Wolverines took set one 25-22 with senior Katie Griffin ending it with a kill.

 

Set two was a different story and the Saints jumped out to a 1-9 lead. BHS showed some life late in the set but it was too little too late as the Saints took the set 11-25.

 

The pivotal 3rd set was a back and forth thriller. Down 10-13, sophomore Alexis Khuu served 5 points including back to back aces. BHS was up 18-14 but couldn’t close the deal. A Griffin kill tied it at 19s and then down 22-24, Weber smashed a winner, but it wasn’t enough as the Saints took set three, 23-25.

 

Heading into set four, the intensity level was at a fever pitch. With a 2-1 lead, junior Emily Kowalski served back to back aces and senior Denali Conway put away a kill to jump out to a 5-1 lead. The Wolverines took a 10-4 lead with back to back to back kills by juniors Ally Witham, Iva Dedijer, and Emily Kowalski. Interlake came roaring back to take the lead, 14-15. Kowalski then dealt an ace and sophomore Holly Huard pounded home a kill after a long rally to take a 16-15 lead. Huard went on a roll with kills at 17-18 and 20-19 setting up another nail-biting finish. Sophomore Mina Dedijer had a kill to make it 22-22 and Conway put away another to make it 23-23. The Wolverines take the next point to go 24-23, but the referees, after a brief discussion, called to replay the point. With the match on the line, the Saints won the replayed point to go ahead 23-24. But the Wolverines didn’t hang their heads and Callie Weber took over the action as she smashed a back-row kill to tie the game at 24. The next point was amazing as both team had players flying all over the floor for the longest rally of the night. Finally Weber crushed one where there weren’t any Saints. With the game on the line and Kowalski serving, the Wolverines closed the set out with a bump set by sophomore Sophia Knapp to the hot hitter Weber who snapped it down the line, 26-24.

 

In the deciding fifth set, Interlake took an 0-2 lead before a Conway kill made it 1-2. But then Wolverines hurt themselves with some unforced errors as they dug a hole down 2-6. The next few points were something to behold as Callie Weber had 5 straight kills to tie the game at 7-7. At 9-9, Conway got a middle-hit kill to set up a fantastic finish. At 11-11, Huard placed a perfect shot across the court that landed on the line to take a 12-11 lead. The Saints then hit the ball out and BHS went up 13-11. A misplaced serve made the game 13-12 and at a critical point in the game, the referees called BHS for a rotation error to make the game 13-13. All night the referees were very tight on pre-serve movement and placement of the team, calling about a dozen pre-serve infractions, the final one coming at a critical point in the match. With the Bellevue team trying to figure out what they were called for, Interlake took advantage and served the ball. The Wolverines scrambled but couldn’t make the play and went down 13-14 and with the chance to serve for the match win. But Weber wasn’t done as she put away yet another kill to tie 14-14. Interlake showed their stuff as they played the last two points perfectly getting kills at 14-15 and finally at 14-16 to take the last set and the game.

 

The Lady Wolverines showed their moxie coming back to win set four and taking set five to the wire. They did not fold under pressure. Instead, they rose to the occasion as all the girls made big plays in key points of the set. Our back-row players, junior Emily Burns, Sophia Knapp, Emily Kowalski, Holly Huard, and sophomore Natalie Moselle made some great saves and passes. Setters, sophomores Liv Sergeeff and Alexis Khuu were placing the ball perfectly for our hitters to put them away. Credit is owed to the Interlake crowd as they travelled downtown in force. Wolverine fans, let’s do the same when we meet up with Interlake later this season.