Wolverines Quiet Rebels
The Wolverines took their 6-1 record North to Kirkland tonight to take on the Juanita Rebels in a KingCo league battle.
The game started off with a few errors as each team was finding their way. Naomi Chen-Mallouk got a sweet slam to put BHS up 4-2. At 5-4, Juanita tipped a ball that Sophia Knapp came flying out of the back row to serve up a pancake and Carly Burns provided the syrup as she put it away to stretch the lead. Jenna Kennan got back to back kills to go up 9-5. Holly Huard put away an over pass to put the Wolverines up 16-10. Chen-Mallouk got a couple more kills and Burns dealt an ace that hit the sideline and Bellevue was up 20-12. That’s when Callie Weber found her groove with 3 late kills and a final point ace to take game one, 25-16.
Game two started as many have this year with an Alexis Khuu ace. Mina Dedijer put away a middle hit to put the lead to 5-2. Juanita made a little run but after the longest rally of the night Weber got the block for the point to go up 8-7. But, Juanita wasn’t having it as they roared back taking the lead. After Weber’s back to back kills, BHS fought back to 10-12. Chen-Mallouk got a hold of one to tie it at 15. A Khuu tip took the lead up to 16-15. The score went back to forth until Weber got the spike from the back row to take the score to 22-20 giving Knapp the serve. Chen-Mallouk destroyed one in the gap, followed by a Kennan block and finished off with a Khuu to Knapp to Weber back row zinger to close the game out, 25-20.
Coach Kalingo changed up the line up in game three and it started off all JHS until Hanna Geffe took an overpass to the deck to close the gap to 3-5. Geffe then got a kill to close the gap 5-6 giving Abby Harden the serve. Chen-Mallouk punished an over pass for a point and the Harden dealt an ace to put the Wolverines up 8-6. Natalie Hayes got a tip to stop the bleeding to make the score 10-11. Burns made a diving save and Hayes deftly tipped it home and the scoreboard read 12-14. The Wolverines were down 12-17 and game three looked in doubt but Kennan tipped one away and Weber followed suit to close the score to 14-17. Down 17-20, Julia Bray joined to party with a kill to close the score to 18-20. That’s when Bray took over getting a kill to tie the score at 21, taking a Hayes set to put another one away 22-11, and then following a Kennan kill, got her fourth kill in a short stretch to put Bellevue on the doorstep of victory. Hayes took advantage of the opportunity to ace the serve and close out game three, 25-21.
Weber lead the squad with 10 kills followed by Chen-Mallouk with 7. Weber and Burns both had 2 aces. Keenan led the team with 3 blocks and Khuu keyed the offense with 23 assists. Geffe led the defense with 10 digs followed by Knapp with 9.
Bellevue returns home on Wednesday to face Redmond. BHS had several close matches with the Mustangs last year and could use your support Wednesday night. Hope to see you there.