Mavs fall in four sets to Davis

MOSES LAKE — Despite a late surge, the Moses Lake Mavericks fell 3-1 at home to Davis on Tuesday, the team’s second-straight loss in league play after beginning the year 3-0 in the Big 9.

“We had a good practice (Monday) and watched a lot of film, so we knew what Davis was going to have,” Moses Lake head coach Krystal Trammell said. “We felt confident but not overly confident, we don’t overlook anyone. We just had a lot of unforced errors tonight, that’s what it was.”

Davis and Moses Lake traded points throughout the first set, with the Pirates leading 15-14 after the Mavs scored on an ace by sophomore Caitlin Decubber. Moses Lake again cut the Davis lead to one later in the set to make it a 19-18 score, but the Pirates pulled out the set with a 25-21 win.

The two squads again were neck-and-neck in the second set on Tuesday night, finding themselves tied at 22 late in the second set before the Pirates won the game 25-22. Moses Lake’s only lead through the first two sets was a 1-0 lead at the beginning of the second set.

“We just came out and we were flat,” Trammell said. “I always tell them they have to come out and they have to explode offensively and set that tone — we exploded in the end of the second set. We were a set too late, had to make up that difference. We know we have to come out explosive and stay on top.”

The Mavs came out hot in the third set, leading 5-1 after a kill by junior Madison Bond, who had three kills in the first 11 rallies of the third set. Three-straight kills by junior Makenna Stuart pushed the lead to 13-7, and the Mavericks later won the set 25-17 after a late Davis rally.

“We did some substituting, added Lily Roylance and that was a huge block for us in there,” Trammell said. “We talk about playing for each other. Not me, not I, but we are playing for each other. When they take that attitude they trust each other more, they feel more confident because they know five other people on the court and five other people on the bench are cheering them on.”

Moses Lake took another early lead in the fourth set, but the Pirates battled back to tie the game at five. After an 11-10 Maverick lead, the Pirates tied the set at 11 and took the lead on the next point, which they held on to en route to a 25-23 win in the final set.

“It’s just the unforced errors,” Trammell said. The girls would go on a run and do really well, and then we would lie down. It’s when we’re missing the serves, or we’re hitting the balls out. Things like that where we’re like, ‘Where do we need to work on, what can we do to get better?’”

Bond had 21 kills in Tuesday’s match against the Pirates, and Stuart finished closely behind with 16 kills. Junior Kaelsey Wiltbank had 39 assists, and senior Raegen Hofheins led with 29 digs. Senior Paytan Andrews led the Mavs with 12 blocks.

“They’re explosive and they’re fun to watch, they really are,” Trammell said of Bond and Stuart.

After beginning Big 9 play with three-straight wins over Eisenhower (3-0), Eastmont (3-1) and Sunnyside (3-0), Moses Lake has now dropped back-to-back league games against West Valley (Yakima) (3-0) and Davis. The Mavs travel to league-leading Wenatchee on Thursday.

“We were flatter than normal and we made those errors,” Trammell said. “What we take from this is coming out with excitement and watching the errors.”

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

Box score

Davis: 25-25-17-25 3

Moses Lake: 21-22-25-23 1