Lake City outlasts rival
With the nucleus of her team from a year ago back, Lake City High volleyball coach Jen Owen has higher expectations in many ways.
One thing Owen won’t settle for is a run-of-the-mill win.
That explains why Owen was less than satisfied following the Timberwolves’ 17-25, 25-9, 25-22, 29-27 decision over Coeur d’Alene in an Inland Empire League match Wednesday at LC.
“We came off an emotional night (a win Tuesday over Sandpoint) and we never got going,” Owen said. “I felt like we did just enough to get by. Luckily we’re talented enough to where we can do that, but that is not the standard that we need to set as a team. It’s a win in the book, but we didn’t win in any area that we needed to with our game plan.”
Perhaps the most positive thing for LC is it kept pace with league-leading Lewiston (11-2 overall, 4-0 league) as the Timberwolves improved to 5-3 and 4-1.
Owen is the first to admit that her sport, by nature, is momentum charged at times. Still, she’s seeking a consistent effort, and her team had too many peaks and valleys.
CdA (3-4, 2-1) took the opening game, stocking most of its match highlights in that game. For all the good things the Vikings did in that game, they did the complete opposite in the second when LC used a 12-3 run to square the match at a game apiece.
Thankfully for LC, senior 6-foot middle hitter Kaylen Meredith stepped up in the final two games. Meredith, who broke her pinky on her hitting hand one hour into the first preseason practice and missed three weeks, has started to find her hitting stride.
Meredith finished with a team-high 14 kills, nine coming in the final two games, to go along with a couple of key stuff blocks.
“I’m starting to find my groove,” Meredith said.
After LC opened a 7-2 lead in the third game, CdA rallied to force 10 ties, the final one coming at 22. Meredith got the game point with a block.
In the final game, sophomore Kama Griffitts used back-to-back aces to help CdA rally from a 16-10 deficit to a 23-20 lead. But LC scored four straight points for a 24-23 lead. Moments later, a tip by Meredith followed by an off-balanced kill by Tabi Mabrey allowed LC to finish off the Vikings.
LC senior outside hitter Brenna Lawson finished with eight kills and two aces. She didn’t miss a serve.
“It’s nothing to panic about, but the way we’ve played at times is difficult for me to accept,” Owen said. “I want consistency and I want us to give more.”
To CdA’s credit, the young team was scrappy, getting their hands on many balls.
“That’s one thing we really stressed in the off-season was laying out for a ball and working hard,” CdA coach Carly Curtis said. “It doesn’t have to be a perfect dig. It just has to be up. They’re doing better and better with that.”