Slow start cause for concern with Chiefs

MOSES LAKE - An 0-3 start to Columbia Basin League play doesn't mean it's time for the Moses Lake volleyball team to panic.

It is a source of worry, however, for head coach Amy Utter and her Chiefs.

"Yeah, I'm concerned," Utter said after Moses Lake dropped a 13-25, 14-25, 27-25, 18-25 decision to the Eisenhower Cadets at Chief Gym Thursday night. "We just need to be more consistent. We're playing really high and really low all in the span of about 30 seconds."

After losing its league opener in five games to Davis and Tuesday's match at Walla Walla in three games, Moses Lake figured it would need a stellar effort to knock off the Cadets. Utter said last week she believed Ike was one of the CBL's better squads, and seeing them in person Thursday didn't change her opinion.

"They're very consistent," Utter said. "I mean, they just don't make a lot of mistakes."

Still, after a rather slow start to the night, Moses Lake rallied to win the third game and made the Cadets sweat to win the fourth.

"We showed tonight we can play with what I think is probably one of the most consistent teams in the league," Utter said.

Ike broke free from a 7-7 tie in game one, using seven straight service points from Amanda Ramirez to take control. Ramirez had four aces during the run and finished with seven on the night.

Game two had a similar start, with the teams splitting the first 12 points. Some inconsistent hitting on Moses Lake's part, coupled with solid offense from Abbi Davison and Cati Mineard, gave Ike a 14-9 lead. The Cadets were never threatened again.

The Chiefs finally showed signs of life in game three. Ike answered every Moses Lake run and eventually earned a match point, but a block, a hitting error and Iesha Garza's kill gave the hosts the victory.

A five-point Cadet rally in game four gave them a 14-9 lead they'd never relinquish. The match's final point was a microcosm of the evening - Ike setter Kelsey Dix feeding Davison for an unstoppable spike. Dix finished with 36 assists, seven aces and six digs. Davison had 13 kills and seven digs.

Tori Fisher also had a big night for Ike, compiling 14 kills, 11 digs and two aces. Libero Kim Jimenez had 15 digs.

Moses Lake setter Shayla May led her team with a strong all-around game - 15 assists, 10 digs, four kills and three aces. Garza had eight kills, 16 digs and a pair of aces, while libero Heidi Smith added 22 digs.

Perhaps the best news of the Chiefs' night was the return of junior outside hitter Shelby Gonzales, who'd missed the first two CBL matches with a foot injury. Gonzales had nine kills, a number Utter thinks will go up as she returns to health.

"She'll be a force for us," Utter said. "She's not 100 percent. That doesn't mean she's not giving 100 percent effort, but physically she's still kind of in some pain."

The Chiefs will try for their first league win Saturday when they travel south to take on the Kamiakin Braves at 11:30 a.m. Utter thinks her team's first taste of victory isn't far away if it makes a few adjustments.

"It's the mental game right now," she said. "We have the skills that we need to go out and start winning."