Wildcats eliminate Chiefs

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake dropped a close game one with Eastmont Thursday night at Moses Lake and the Wildcats clawed their way to a three-game sweep to eliminate Moses Lake from postseason contention on senior night.

Moses Lake struggled to get going early in game one, falling behind visiting Eastmont and the Wildcats took a 17-12 lead midway through game one.

Although Moses Lake found themselves in a five-point hole, the Chiefs rallied.

Moses Lake junior Kayla Bernsen led a sharp offensive attack at the net, sparking an 8-3 rally as the Chiefs pulled even at 20-20. Bernsen led the Chiefs during their rally, scoring four points off of kills and another after blocking an Eastmont kill attempt.

Bernsen is in her first year with Moses Lake after transferring from Connell and Moses Lake head coach Amy Utter said she has showed improvement throughout her first season with the Chiefs.

“She has been consistently improving all year long,” she said. “She is a big impact player. She plays with a lot of emotion.”

While Bernsen provided Moses Lake’s spark to climb back in, fellow junior Kaydren Dunkin provided a big kill during Moses Lake’s stretch run to give the Chiefs their first lead at 21-20.

Moses Lake fought back from a five-point deficit late in game one, but Eastmont reclaimed the lead four points later.

Despite strong performances throughout game one from Bernsen, Dunkin, junior Markie Fancher and senior Erin Carvo, Eastmont held on to take game one 26-24.

While Moses Lake got off to a lethargic start in game one, the opposite proved true for the Chiefs in game two.

Bernsen records kills on four of the first seven points in game two and junior Mindy Robbins recorded one of her game-high six aces to help Moses Lake rebound to take a 5-2 lead.

Moses Lake closed out game one on a positive note and Utter said she hoped it would be enough to carry throughout the remaining games.

“We started slow in the first game and built momentum late,” she said. 

With Moses Lake leading early, Eastmont continued to chip away at their deficit before pulling even with the hosting Chiefs at 11-11. Eastmont continued to put the pressure on Moses Lake. After pulling even, the Wildcats went on a 12-2 run to take a 23-13 lead.

The Chiefs tried to rally themselves, but Eastmont held on for a 25-18 victory in game two.

Moses Lake’s momentum from a solid finish in game one didn’t carry over in a must-win match, Utter said.

“The momentum wasn’t enough to carry over,” she said. “There was a sense of urgency. I think we were playing with some nervous energy.”

After falling behind 2-0 Thursday night, Moses Lake began game three in much the same way they began game two. Moses Lake put pressure on Eastmont beginning with the opening serve of game three, riding a 6-2 run to take the lead.

Although Moses Lake began game three with an early run, Eastmont responded. The Wildcats went on an 11-4 run to take a 13-10 lead.

While Moses Lake found themselves trailing again in game three, the Chiefs would not go quietly. Moses Lake continued to rally and persevere.

The Chiefs capitalized on important kills from Fancher, Bernsen and freshman Sadie Nielsen at the net and Robbins added another ace as Moses Lake closed the gap to take the lead at 15-14.

Moses Lake went on a 7-4 run to take a 22-18 lead, but the Chiefs wouldn’t score another point as Eastmont closed out the game with a 7-0 run to sweep the Chiefs.

Moses Lake honored four seniors before Thursday night’s contest and although Moses Lake won’t advance to the Columbia Basin Big Nine Conference district tournament, Utter was proud of them.

“I don’t want to take anything away from our seniors,” she said after the loss. “They gave a lot. They sacrificed for four years. I am really proud of them.”

With only four seniors on Moses Lake’s roster, the 2010 season could be a bright one for the Chiefs.

“We are a young team, in age and experience, but we have been resilient,” she said. “We have some really good players. We are really excited for next year.”

While the Chiefs will look forward to next season during the post season, Utter said her seniors played a significant role in preparing the Chiefs for 2010.

“I have to give our seniors a lot of credit,” she said. “They set some fine examples.”