OLYMPIA, Wash. – After the Evergreen Geoducks played perhaps their best volleyball of 2011 in the first set, the Northwest Eagles stepped up and won the next three as they escaped with a 3-1 win in a Cascade Conference volleyball match on Friday night at CRC Gymnasium in Olympia, Wash.
In the first set, the Geoducks (0-11, 0-10 CCC) scored three quick points before the Eagles (9-6, 7-3 CCC) got on the scoreboard. Northwest tied it at 5-5 but the Geoducks kept digging deep as they built the lead back up, holding a 21-13 advantage at one point. The Eagles went on the late run but it was too little, too late as Evergreen earned the 25-22 set one win, just the second frame they have won this season.
Northwest was ready to play in the second set as they used the late momentum from the first frame to build the early lead. Evergreen managed to keep it close, pulling back within two points at 15-13 but NU scored eight straight as they earned the 26-15 set two win to even the match at one frame each.
The Geoducks earned the first two points of the third frame but things quickly went back in favor of Northwest as the Eagles found themselves up 11-4 early. Evergreen managed to get a few kills down but Northwest slowly built the lead as the Geoducks had their worst hitting set of the match, giving the Eagles the easy 25-13 win.
In the fourth set, the Eagles were able to use their deeper bench to slowly pull away as Northwest was in control from the very beginning. The Eagles had their best hitting frame of the match, putting down 14 kills with three errors in 37 attacks for a clip of .297 as they earned the 25-15 match-clinching win.
Evergreen was led by 14 kills from Stephanie Peshlakai-John (Kirtland, N.M./West Texas College). Jasmine Horton (Seattle, Wash./Foster HS) added 12 kills while Erin Mitchell (Santa Cruz, Calif./Mt. Madonna School) had a season-high 31 assists on the night. Freshman Taylor Asao (Kaneohe, Hawai’i/Saint Francis School) led the Geoducks with 19 digs on the night.
Northwest was led by 14 kills from Breanna Covey. Olivia VanDlac added 12 kills while Molly Boyle chalked up 10 kills. Lauryn Ernster finished with 41 assists on the night while Heather Shulke led all players with 25 digs in the match.
The Geoducks will be in action again on Saturday morning when they play host to New Hope Christian in a scrimmage starting at 11:00 am. Their next counting match will be on Oct. 14 when they host 7th-ranked College of Idaho beginning at 5:00 pm.
