The Mount Si Wildcat volleyball team opened last week with a home date against the top team in the league, the Newport Knights, and the league’s top player, senior hitter Lauren Barfield. Even though the opponent was the toughest yet, Mount Si gave it everything they had once again and turned this match into a classic. However, at the end of the day, it was Barfield’s 25 kills that led the way as the Knights posted a very hard-fought three game sweep, 26-24, 25-19, 28-26.

“You know, I stuck a stick of gum in my mouth at the beginning of the game. I chewed it so hard I ate it. That’s how exciting it was,” said Newport co-head coach Jeremy Brown.

Game one started with the Knights blowing out to a 5-0 lead thanks to a couple of those kills from the UW recruit. Mount Si then started to fight back as the game went along, using equally strong efforts from their star junior Miranda Pratt to climb back into the contest. The Wildcats eventually tied it at 14-14, and it was very tight from then on in the frame. There were seven ties, and two lead changes – Mount Si briefly held the lead at 22-21 – before Newport re-took the lead and finished things off. Strong play from Sine Schirmer and Alisha Larion came in handy in this late stretch, but a Summer Nash block attempt went out of bounds on game point, handing the game to the Knights.

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