Getting into midseason form, the Mount Si volleyball team is readying for what could be a long playoff run.
The Wildcats have some tough league competition to get past, and last Tuesday, they played one of those tougher teams, the Juanita Rebels.
“We looked as Juanita at one of the tougher teams in our league that was actually going to give us a run for our money,” said Mount Si senior Shelagh Macaulay.
Initially, that looked to be the case, as Juanita started out well, but the Wildcats, behind a solid night from Macaulay, took control and finished off the Rebels in four games. Scores were 23-25, 25-18, 25-20 and 25-18, as Mount Si remained unbeaten in league at 5-0 after their only match last week; last Thursday they had a bye. Macaulay had 16 kills and 15 digs to help lead the Wildcats.
It was a tight opening frame as Juanita took control. The Rebels maintained that through much of the stanza behind the solid effort of Brittany Webster, who had three straight aces at one point to help the Rebels midway through the game.
However, Mount Si rallied and tied the game twice late in the stanza before Juanita got the advantage and closed the deal.
The ‘Cats, behind Macaulay and Robyn Schirmer, were able to seize control of the second game early on, then maintained that until halfway through, when the Rebels made it close. With the game tied 16-16, a Zoe Gogan kill put Mount Si in the lead to stay, and scarlet and gray closed things out on a 9-2 run to tie the match. Gogan finished with 12 kills and 11 digs.
Game three started out with the Rebels in front, but the Wildcats rallied and tightened the contest midway through the frame. Another Gogan kill helped Mount Si take control, and a Rebel service error handed the Valley’s best the match lead at two games to one.
After a slow start in the fourth frame, the ‘Cats took command and slammed the door on the match. A Schirmer ace made it official — one of three aces which went along with 11 digs and 38 assists to aid Mount Si.
“It started off a little rough, I’m not going to lie,” Schirmer said. “But we got focused and we were able to come out and do what we needed to do as a team.”
Mount Si’s effort in getting in time for the postseason may have been on factor behind Tuesday’s slow start.
“We’re trying to implement some new systems; trying to speed up our offense a little bit,” said Mount Si coach Bonnie Foote. “It’s a little bit hard, because you kind of expect to go down before you go up — but we have some time to work on those things.”
Maintaining focus will be key.
“We can play with anybody, but we can’t beat ourselves,” Foote said.
Wildcat junior Amanda Gates doesn’t expect that to be a problem, since she feels the team is unified.
“We just know each other,” Gates said. “We all get along, so there no tension on the court between us, and we just all work well together.”
