Wolverines Conquer Crusaders in Instant Classic

Bellevue Punches Ticket to State Tournament with 26-24 5th Set Victory

In a weighty contest that is normally reserved for the gridiron, Bellevue High took on Eastside Catholic in the match to determine the 5th and 6th place finishers in the Sea-King Tournament. The victor would automatically qualify for State, while the losing team would have to play a Tuesday night match against Kamiakin High School to earn a bid.  To say the least, there was a lot on the line!

 

Game 1 started out with the teams measuring each other and trading points.  Weber got her third kill of the match to knot the game at 9. Huard got back to back kills to tie the game at 17. Bellevue then went on a little run and after a Keenan smash BHS had a 22-18 lead. EC brought it back a bit but hit the last one long and BHS took game 1, 25-22.

 

With all the momentum, the Wolverines screamed out to a 8-0 lead behind the serving of Khuu. A Huard tip kept BHS at a comfortable 12-6 lead. EC came back swiftly behind some Bellevue errors and the lead was gone. The Game was tied at 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, and 20. Down 21-22, the longest rally of the match occurred and a couple amazing digs by Weber and Knapp kept the point alive and Huard finished it off to tie it at 22. But, EC found a way to grab the points and the game and the match was tied 1-1 after a 22-25 Crusader win.

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EC raced out to a 1-5 lead and it wasn’t until Weber got a hat trick of kills and BHS took a 8-7 lead. Knapp chased a ball that took her into the stands and was able to save the point and Bellevue was up 15-13. A Khuu tip finished off a point which Emily Burns kept alive with some solid digs and BHS took a 21-18 lead. A Chen-Mallouk block finished it off and the Wolverines took the game, 25-20.

 

The Crusaders took the lead early in game four cruising out to a 3-10 margin. EC held a big lead throughout up as much as 9 points. A Chen-Mallouk kill kept BHS alive at 16-23. Bellevue took the next 7 points but EC finally got the deciding point to take it, 22-25 setting up a game five for a bid to state.

 

Eastside started off game 5 with an ace and after a long hit by BHS were up 0-2. A EC net violation produced a side out but EC hit the next one off the block and went up 1-3. The next Crusader spike hit the antenna and then they hit the one deep that Burns watched go long and it was tied 3-3. A Weber back row crush was followed by a BHS hitting error and the game was tied again, 4-4. EC then had a kill, followed by a BHS hitting error, and then EC got the block and the 4-7 lead prompting a Coach Kalingo time out. The time out worked as EC deposited the serve into the net. Eastside took the next three points to take a commanding 5-10 lead. EC hit it into the net, couldn’t get it over in 3 hits, and then hit a free ball out and BHS was back to 8-10. A BHS over pass set up EC for the kill but they miss timed their jump and the ball went into the tape and the score was 9-10. EC got the next point with a big hit and took the next hit off the block to take a 9-12 and a BHS time out. A Knapp to Khuu to Weber exchange made it 10-12. Knapp then got a pancake and after a furious rally, Weber took it cross court. Now at 11-12, EC got the next point after a Bellevue tip didn’t clear the net. Weber then hit the line across the court to make it 12-13. An EC hitting error tied it at 13. Eastside took the next point to go up 13-14 and serving for a chance to win the match and earn the bid. But Knapp passed to Khuu who set Weber for the down the line smash. EC got a kill from the middle to go up 14-15. Knapp returned the serve to Khuu who teed up Huard for the hit off the block and it was 15’s. Eastside got the kill off the block setting up another match point. But, Huard wasn’t having it and against her former team put it away to tie the game at 16. The next point had everyone scrambling and after an exchange at the net the ball fell out for BHS and EC took a 16-17 lead. Weber found back of the court with a well placed shot to tie it at 17. The ref then called Bellevue for a double hit and EC again had a serve for the win. Huard hit a roll shot that just climbed over the net and hit the deck. Tied at 18, Huard got the serve and Weber went back to the cross court shot and now Bellevue had their first lead in game five since 4-3. EC took the next 2 points behind a spike and a push shot to the open court and they had a 19-20 lead. A Weber cross court beauty knotted the match at 20. A Crusader net violation gave Bellevue their 2nd match point. But, EC’s hit tickled the line and we were back even at 21. EC blocked a Bellevue hit to go up 21-22. Burns followed the next point all the way out and it fell just long and we were tied at 22. A Bellevue hitting error gave EC a 22-23 lead. EC, with a hit to win the game, sent it long and we were tied yet again at 23. The Eastside setter produced a double hit and Bellevue took a 24-23 lead but the BHS hit landed just wide and the game that wouldn’t end was tied at 24. Keenan scrambled the Crusaders with her serve that set up Huard for the smash that goes off the block and finds the floor putting BHS up 25-24. Keenan served it the EC who got it set up outside, but Chen-Mallouk blocked it back. EC was able to dig it up but they were scrambling to get it back. The third hit was a free ball that sailed over the net but BHS watched it go wide and the celebration ensued. Bellevue took game five, 26-24.

 

Words can’t explain the drama in this game five. Bellevue dodged nine match points from Eastside but never wavered. Their grit and determination was amazing. We are all so proud of the girls and their accomplishment. Congratulations are also due to Eastside who were equal to the task. Neither team deserved to lose this match. Bellevue advances to their 2nd state tournament in twenty years next Friday and Saturday in Kennewick. We hope you all can join us to cheer them on.

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Bellevue Finally Breaks Mustangs

Team Digs Deep in Comeback Win Over Kingco Nemesis Redmond

The Wolverines started day two of the SeaKing Tournament against a familiar foe as they took on Redmond for the 4th time this year.  This one felt like it was for all the marbles, as the winner secured at least a 6th place finish.  The losing team would have to play Garfield for the opportunity to go to Spokane and play a crossover match on Tuesday night.  

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BHS fell behind early but Holly Huard got three straight kills to close the gap to 4-6. Redmond kept a comfortable lead until a Callie Weber kill off of an over pass closed made the score 15-17. A Naomi Chen-Mallouck kill tied it at 18. A Weber cross court kill made it 21-23 and after a Redmond net violation closed it to 22-23, Redmond  forced BHS errors and took game one, 22-25.

 

Game two starts off with a Huard kill and the Wolverines held an early lead. The game was back and forth and after a 12-12 tie, Redmond took the lead. A Chen-Mallouck block brought BHS back to a tie at 18. Ally Witham got an thunderous spike to knot it up at 19. The score almost mirrored game one as after back to back Huard kills BHS closed the gap to 22-23. But, a call against Bellevue and a hit long gave Redmond game 2 at 22-25.

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Needing game three to avoid a loser out game or a Tuesday cross-over match, Bellevue had to dig deep. Witham back to back kills tied it at 4. A Weber kill was followed by an Alexis Khuu ace to give BHS a 11-8 lead. Consecutive Weber blasts made it 14-11. A Jenna Keenan kill from the middle gave Bellevue its largest lead of the day at 18-13. But, Redmond closed the gap to 21-20. A Chen-Malllouk block prompted a RHS time out at 23-20. After a side out, Sophia Knapp passed to Khuu who set the middle for a Chen-Mallouk slam. Weber finished it off with a kill and a Wolverine 25-22 win.

 

Game four was a back and forth contest. BHS held a lead for most of the early part of the game but Redmond made a run until a Huard tip tied the game at 14. A Chen-Mallouk block was followed by a Weber back row kill and a Knapp ace stretched the lead to 18-15. With all the momentum, BHS ran away and took the game 25-17 send the match to game five.

 

Back to back Huard kills tied the last game at 2. A Redmond service error tied the contest at 3, but RHS went on a run behind their superstar Elise Pettit and before BHS could respond, they were behind 3-8. A Keenan kill stopped the run. A Keenan ace closedd the gap to 7-8 and after a Chen-Mallouck kill a Witham ace made it 9-9. Then, a Weber spike was followed by a Redmond hit into the net. After a long rally, Chen-Mallouk got the kill. A Redmond double hit was followed by a Witham back row crush. Chen-Mallouk finished off the game and the match with a cross court gem and a 15-9 victory. Bellevue ended game 5 with a 12-2 and 8-0 run and showed grit and determination coming back from 0-2 to take the match.

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