Big Bend drops NWAC East opener to Wenatchee Valley
Big Bend freshman Laurissa Kisler, of Warden, passes the ball during the third game of Wednesday Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match with Wenatchee Valley College.
Big Bend College freshmen Maddy Powers, near, and Sierra Schutte go up for the block during Wednesday night’s Northwest Athletic Conference match against Wenatchee Valley College.The Knights won the season opener in three games.
MOSES LAKE — Forget the first two games, Big Bend College looked like a bunch of freshmen playing their first college volleyball match. But when the Vikings (0-1) finally decided to turn it loose, they stayed right with Wenatchee Valley College. Despite losing the Northwest Athletic Conference opener in three games, Big Bend found a little something to build on in Wednesday’s 25-10, 25-15, 25-23 loss to the Knights (1-0).
“The first couple of games they weren’t mentally ready, but once they got rid of the jitters they were fine,” Viking coach Joni Nagy said. “I went from running a 5-1 to a 6-2 with two setters on the back row to give our row a little more height and a little more offense in the third game.”
Big Bend has just one sophomore on its 16-player roster, so it’s going to be a baptism under fire as they get their legs under them. But as the Vikings matched the Knights point-for-point in the third game, Big Bend in confidence. Nelly Korneychuk from Soap Lake finished with a team-high five kills and Sierra Schutte had four. Brittany Hosley, a 5-foot-2 defensive specialist, is the only sophomore. She led the Vikings with 13 digs and Laurissa Kisler from Warden added seven.
The Vikings found a rhythm on Kisler’s service during the third game, trailing 22-18. The 5-1 defensive specialist has a combo serve with a floater with some topspin. Big Bend narrowed the gap to within 22-21 with four points on her service, but couldn’t provide that extra push over the top.
“I really started having confidence in my serve as we got closer to tying it,” Kisler said. “I was thinking keep going, keep going, make this an ace. We wanted to show what Big Bend is really about in that third game, and I felt came together and played closer to the way we can.”
Reinnee Rockett said once the team settled in, they found a comfort zone to build on.
“We were trying to guess where balls were going to get hit and it was taking toll on us in the first two games,” she said. “Honestly, the third game is what we’re capable of and so much more.”
The two-day Big Bend tournament starts on Friday and runs all day on Saturday.
Prep girls soccer
Lewis and Clark 4, Moses Lake 0
SPOKANE — Moses Lake lost its first game of the year on the road against Lewis and Clark 4-0.
The Chiefs host their first game Saturday, 1 p.m., against Ferris.