Cougars fall in three sets to Tri-Cities Prep

WARDEN — Despite a hard-fought match on the home court, the Warden Cougars (7-7) fell in three sets to Tri-Cities Prep Tuesday evening. With one game left in the regular season, the Cougars set their sights on finishing strong before postseason play. 

"We knew it was going to be tough; TCP's really good," said Cougars senior Hannah Roylance. "We knew that if we wanted to win we were going to have to go hard and put it all out there, and I think we did. In the end, we put everything up." 

The Cougars had a slow start to the game as Tri-Cities built a significant lead over Warden in the first set. Warden worked to battle back into the game but ultimately fell 25-11.

Tri-Cities Prep built an early 4-0 lead in the second set, but Warden quickly scored to stay competitive. Unfortunately, Tri-Cities found momentum to extend its lead by a much wider margin halfway through the set. 

Warden wasn't ready to quit even when down 18-11 and continued to put pressure on Tri-Cities Prep. The Cougars eventually cut in close and brought the score to 24-18 before Tri-Cities found their opportunity to close the game out 25-18. 

Things were kept much closer in the third set as the Cougars remained within a two-point margin for much of the early points in the set. While Tri-Cities Prep held the lead for the first half of the set, about halfway through, the Cougars gained enough momentum to have a 17-15 lead over the opposition. 

Tri-Cities quickly regained their lead at 18-17 and started to get ahead as they inched toward victory. Just as things looked dire at 21-17, the Cougars closed the gap to 21-20. 

Warden continued to battle hard until the very end of the set and had a chance to tie things up but fell 25-23 in the end. 

"We need to communicate a little bit better and maybe be a little more loud, but I think other than that, we played really well," said Cougars senior Ella Chamberlain. "It was just small mistakes that kind of brought us down." 

Hannah said throughout this season, Warden has shown consistent improvement and this was on full display during Tuesday's matchup. 

"I'm so proud of every single girl because compared to the first game to now, (we've had) so much improvement," she said. 

Cougars Head Coach Katie Roylance said the main struggle for Warden was that they didn't start the game with confidence. Tri-Cities Prep is sitting as the top team in the league and with that the Cougars came into the game with some nerves.  

"Tri-Cities Prep, they're always strong and solid and they're top in our league," said Coach Roylance. "I think that first game, we came in a little timid, but the girls competed and fought." 

She said the girls actively cut down their errors on the court and found within themselves the desire to continue competing even when they were down. This was proven in both the second and third sets as the Cougars cut into Tri-Cities lead and battled until the end. 

Following the matchup Coach Roylance told the Cougars to hold their heads up high and to be proud of the way they played. The coach said they can carry the momentum they had in the latter half of this game to have a strong finish to their regular season. 

"They know they're capable and I hope they feel that after this game," she said.  

As they press forward, the coach said it will be key for Warden to cut down on their service and passing errors. 

Tuesday's game was also senior night for the Cougars as they celebrated Hannah Roylance, Ella Chamberlain and Sara Lino.  

"It's kind of crazy how old we are now," said Ella. "It's really exciting though, but I'm going to miss these guys." 

Coach Roylance said each of these seniors has had a lasting impact on the program through their dedication and hard work over the years. Throughout this season, their efforts and positivity have helped bring up the younger players on the squad. 

"It's been pretty fun watching," said the coach. "Sad, but fun." 

Hannah said stepping into the leadership role this season has been a rewarding experience for her. She has enjoyed the opportunity and the honor of being one of the players that the team feels confident looking to for help. 

"I love all the girls here from the freshman to seniors and I just love being that face that they can go to if they have problems," said the senior. "I'll be sad to not play with them anymore." 

When reflecting on their time as Cougars leading up to their final home game of the season, both Ella and Hannah said the people they've had to play alongside over the years have been their favorite part.  

"I grew up with all these girls and they're all amazing," said Hannah. "I've always gone into practice and there's not a face that isn't smiling, laughing and it's just been fun every year." 

With the next game being the final matchup before postseason play, the Cougars are taking the proper steps to be ready for a strong finish. After a loss at home, Hannah said she wants to ensure the team can remain positive. 

"Trying to stay positive and put it all out there, give it our all," she said. 

For Ella, her mindset heading into the end of the regular season is to enjoy making the most of it. 

"Just pushing and trying to get as far as we can and just having fun when we do it," she said. 

The Cougars cap off the regular season on the road against River View Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The first game of postseason is scheduled for Tuesday as Warden heads off to face La Salle at 6 p.m. 

BOX SCORE 

TCPR: 25-25-25: 3 

WRDN: 11-18-23: 0 

    Warden senior Ella Chamberlain tosses up the ball as she serves during Tuesday's game against Tri-Cities Prep.
  

    Brittney Cole, a junior from Warden, bumps up a serve from Tri-Cities Prep Tuesday evening.
  

    Cougars freshman Harper Cox, steps up to serve in Tuesday's game against Tri-Cities Prep.
  

    Warden sophomore Kenzley Clausen keeps her eye on the incoming serve from Tri-Cities Prep Tuesday.
  

    Cougars players gather on the court as they celebrate a point against Tri-Cities Prep in their final home game of the regular season.