Slow starts plague Moses Lake in loss to Wenatchee

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake head coach Jennifer Gering exulted on the sideline after a one-handed block by Madi Crain tied the third set with Wenatchee 5-5.

It had taken a full two sets, but Moses Lake had finally started to fly around the court and work as a unit.

The Chiefs led by as much as four points in the third set, 17-13, before the Panthers closed on an 8-3 run to complete their sweep 25-8, 25-14, 25-22.

“We’ve got to start a match playing hard and playing our game instead of trying to figure out how to play,” Gering said.

Wenatchee delivered knockout blows early in the first and second sets.

Wenatchee senior outside hitter Alli Hallberg totaled seven kills in the first set and the Panthers raced to a 10-1 advantage after a pair of Hallberg service aces.

Moses Lake was unable to narrow the gap as Wenatchee cruised 25-8.

“We’ve got to play a quicker placed ball,” Gering said. “Our sets are higher, we’ve got to get them lower so we can play a quicker pace on our side that throws them out of their system so then they don’t transition as quickly ... we need to play a little faster paced ball.”

Similarly to the first set, two consecutive kills by Hallberg in the second put the Panthers ahead 9-1.

However, this time Moses Lake attempted a comeback.

An ace by Ashlyn Haneberg capped a 6-0 run to draw the Chiefs within two points, 9-7.

The Panthers answered with an 8-0 run of their own, punctuated by a block from 6-foot middle hitter Marisa Lykken.

Moses Lake got as close as six points down after an ace by Serina Haneberg, 18-12, but Wenatchee closed on another lengthy 7-2 run to take the set 25-14.

“That’s the other thing we need to work on,” Gering said. “Don’t let them have three our four (points) in a row. We’ve got to stop them after two. We can’t let them have more than two in a row.”

The third set was close throughout.

A service ace by Ashlyn Haneberg gave Moses Lake its first lead of the night, 6-5.

The Chiefs led 15-12 after one of Yasmin Shateri’s four kills.

Wenatchee worked its way back and Hallberg’s 12th kill tied the set, 19-19. The Panthers scored the next four points before the Chiefs closed to within one, 23-22.

Hallberg recorded a kill for the Panthers’ penultimate point and a returned spike into the net ended the match.

“They weren’t playing and flowing like a team and that time when they flow and they’re together and they’re moving together as team it’s just amazing,” Gering said. “Their energy level goes up, the systems work and we can play a hard game.”

Set scores

W — 25 25 25

ML — 8 14 22

Highlights: Shateri 4 kills, 4 blocks; Gabi Rios, 7 digs, 2 kills; Crain 3 kills, 2 blocks; Hallie Walker 6 assists