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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Prep, Shadle score big victories

With three Greater Spokane League volleyball matches remaining, every game counts for the half-dozen teams chasing league leader Mead, runner-up Lewis and Clark and the four other available district playoff berths.

Two teams, Gonzaga Prep and Shadle Park, did their parts and dealt blows to their opponents on a Thursday night that ended with a four-way tie for third place.

The Bullpups held off stubborn Central Valley 25-21, 25-20, 18-25, 25-22, while Shadle’s Highlanders, playing at home, topped Ferris in an equally taut 23-25, 26-24, 25-18, 25-20 match.

The wins left them tied at 7-3 with Mt. Spokane – a three-set loser to unbeaten Mead – and University, which swept West Valley.

G-Prep and CV, for the most part, were seldom separated by more than a couple of points during all four games of their match. It made calls that could have gone either way at the 18th point in the pivotal second and fourth games for the Bullpups, who won both.

“Sometimes things fall your way and sometimes they don’t,” said G-Prep coach Lisa Phillips. “Luckily a few calls went our way.”

Despite errors on both sides, neither team could complain about the effort given, notably Bullpups setter/hitter Liz Hardan and Bears junior outside hitter Jaclyn Robinson.

“This year I’m doing all the hitting and setting,” said Hardan, who led the team in both kills and assists.

Last year, when Prep was third at state, all she had to do was put the ball in play for her big front row. This year she’s become an integral part of the net attack, thanks to co-setter Megan Higgins.

“She’s been setting awesome when I’m in the front row and we have a play where we do a switch when they need me to hit,” Hardan said.

The fourth game was a donnybrook with G-Prep taking leads, CV rallying to tie and eventually going ahead 21-20 on Robinson’s fourth kill of the game.

Hardan tied it with her setter’s dump shot, then CV made mistakes, including its seventh service error of the night, to put the Bullpups up 24-22. A block of CV’s kill attempt at the net by Leslie Whigham and Kristana Fruci on their right side ended the contest.

“As a team we’re learning to stay in it mentally,” said Phillips, whose Bullpups had been in three five-game matches earlier. “I think we stayed in it and the other team made a few more errors than we did.”

CV coach Chad Coupland, while disappointed with the outcome, was not unhappy with the Bears’ effort.

“I’m proud of the way the kids played,” he said. “We had a few mental errors and that will kill you, but we’re young and will learn from it.”

•Elsewhere, Shadle rallied at home against Ferris (6-4) for the pivotal victory between playoff contenders. Renee Before had five kills and five blocks in the final game and led the team with 11 and 11, respectively. Maddy Lorenz had 16 kills and Jessica Bates 20 digs for the Saxons. …U-Hi swept past visiting WV (3-7) for its share of third behind the work of Ashlee Lupfer and setter Kara Crisp. Mel Dossey led WV in kills, aces, digs and blocks. … Mt. Spokane was swept at home by the Panthers (10-0) 25-7, 25-13, 25-23. Megan Thigpen had eight kills and three blocks, Erin Norris had four aces and three blocks. … Rogers (1-9) gave first-year coach Jaime Browning her initial victory, at Cheney 25-19, 25-22, 25-18. Cari Landkammer had 22 assists and three service aces. Cheney’s Megan Cogley had 13 kills and shared the team lead in aces and blocks. … North Central (4-6) won at East Valley (3-7), 25-20, 10-25, 24-26, 25-22, 15-6. Whitney Buck served four straight points and Anna Walters followed with five straight for a 9-1 lead in the final game. Walters also led the team in kills. Rachel Bonertz led EV in kills and digs, Stephanie Bellefeuille in assists and service aces. … LC plays at Clarkston tonight.