Strong court communication leads Devils to 3-1 win

WILSON CREEK – Coming off a 3-1 win over Pateros on Thursday, the Wilson Creek Devils used their on-court communication skills to bounce back after a first-set loss to defeat Riverside Christian 3-1 on Saturday.

The Devils, 6-6 in league play, now prepare for a win-and-in game against Soap Lake on Thursday.

“They realized that they knew they were capable of more,” Wilson Creek head coach Christa Christopherson said.

Christopherson said that the Devils missed hits and serves in the first set, along with having a sense of miscommunication that led to Riverside Christian taking Set 1 25-16.

“We came out slow, I don’t know what it was,” Christopherson said. “Maybe it’s because we played on Saturday, and we’ve never played in a Saturday game. We just did not come out with any sort of spark or fire.”

That miscommunication didn’t last for the Devils as they entered the second set, with teammates audibly calling out for passes and volleying the ball. After an ace by junior Izzy Hochstatter gave Wilson Creek a 14-7 lead, the Devils kept their foot on the gas en route to a 25-13 Set 2 win.

“They did a lot better job of talking,” Christopherson said. “They’d been struggling with that the last few (games), I pretty much told them in practice we have to talk. We have the skills now, we know what we’re doing, we just have to talk.”

The positive energy continued on in the third set for the Devils, After Riverside Christian came back to tie the set at nine, Wilson Creek powered on to a commanding lead and took the third set 25-15.

“‘This is why we play best three out of five,” Christopherson said. “It’s not that big of a deal, just focus on the next one. They came out and they just really hammered down.”

Wilson Creek once again jumped out to an early lead in the fourth set, later leading by as much as 17-10. Junior Rocio Marin Villegas’ kill gave the Devils a 25-18 win over the visiting Crusaders.

“In my opinion, talk is everything with volleyball,” Christopherson said. “You don’t talk, you don’t have any confidence. If you don’t have any confidence, you’re not aggressive at all.”

Christopherson said the Devils, with a 6-7 overall record on the year, have shown improvement through games as the season progressed.

“I’ve really seen them grow in their confidence and their ability,” Christopherson said. “When they started I think they were a little hesitant because coming in, brand-new coach, they didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what to expect, and I think we’ve really bonded and grown together.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.