Chiefs falter against Panthers
CUTLINE: Chiefs' outside-hitter Sarah Kast gets a kill in the second game in Moses Lake Tuesday night. The Chiefs lost in three games, but the game marked Kast's return from injury.
Moses Lake comes out strong, loses momentum against Wenatchee
The Chiefs play this season has been a case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Sideout.
Tuesday night was no different.
Moses Lake came out strong against Wenatchee in the first game. After falling behind 11-17, the Chiefs battled the Panthers in a drawn-out rally. They lost the point, but gained momentum. Thanks to strong serving and a key dig from Bailey Millican, they went on a 8-1 run to tie the score at 18.
Despite losing the game, Moses Lake seemed poised to win the match.
"It was fun to watch," said Moses Lake head coach Amy Utter. "They were excited, I was excited to watch them play. It was only three minutes between games."
But between games, another team seemed to take the court. The Chiefs immediately dug themselves into a 9-0 hole. Unable to return serves, the Chiefs allowed five consecutive aces, forcing Utter to take a timeout.
"We had the same players, the same rotation," she said. "I thought (the Chiefs' play) was going to roll over into game two."
Game three was closer, but again the Chiefs were forced to play catch-up.
"I think the wheels fell off of our truck after the first game tonight," Utter said, adding that her team's problems come from lack of consistency rather than lack of talent. "We have kids that have great moments, but not great matches."
Utter said it seems at times that her players are looking toward each other to take charge.
One exception Tuesday was setter Bailey Millican, who's serving aided Moses Lake's comeback charge in game one.
"She's a spark for the team," Utter said. "When she's serving, we tend to go on a little run."
Millican finished with five assists, five digs, and three aces, but her statistics don't show her clutch performance.
The game also saw the return of Sarah Kast — the outside-hitter was sidelined with injuries.
"It was such a relief to see her on the court again," Utter said of Kast, who finished with four kills and six digs.
With the loss, the Chiefs fall to 1-9 in Big Nine play. They play Davis in Yakima Thursday.//2+Ohma">ML volleyball 10/6
Hard Drive//2,/fu2AUDT
Ae”,/(