JVs also prevail

ETNA – The potential had been there the whole season, and there had been flashes of brilliance before, but last Thursday night it all came together in full force for the Etna Lady Lions volleyball team. Etna dominated the Shasta Cascade League leading Fall River Bulldogs 3-1 (25-10, 25-18, 20-25, 25-16). The Bulldogs had been undefeated in the SCL, and ranked 15^th in the section by MaxPreps .

The Lady Lions jumped out to a 5-0 start in game-one behind an ace by Annalesia Nadig and a kill by Claire Pynes. With Etna leading 6-2, Sarah Loogman hammered a pair of kills to make it 8-2.

Etna led 9-6, when the Lady Lions blew the game open, starting with a side out via a Nadig kill. That began a run of six straight points, including three aces by Paige Finley, and a block by Teri Szczapanek, to go up 15-6. Etna was up 21-10, when a Loogman kill started a string of four straight points, including an ace by Hillary Hampton, and a block by Finley to end the game 25-10.

Fall River had the serve to start game-two, but a kill by Pynes gave Etna the serve and a 1-0 lead. Nadig promptly scorched the Bulldogs with a couple of fireball aces—two of ten aces in the match for Nadig.

The Bulldogs, however, battled back and took the lead at 8-7. A Szczapanek kill tied the game at 8-8, and gave the serve to Etna. Etna scored the next three points, including a Loogman kill from the back row, to go up 11-8.

With the score tied 13-13, it was Nadig with a kill for a side out and the lead 14-13. The Lady Lions then took total control of the game—Loogman for a kill, two aces by Nadig, another Loogman kill, a pair of kills by Pynes, a Nadig ace, and a kill by Loogman gave Etna the lead 22-13. The Lady Lions went on to win 25-18, with Finley ending it with a block for the second game in a row.

The third game was the closest of the night, with Fall River prevailing. Etna led 8-4, but the Bulldogs went on an 8-2 run to take the lead 12-10. Etna tied it at 12-12. Fall River regained the lead at 13-12, and stayed in front the remainder of the way to win 25-20. After dropping game three, the question was would the Lady Lions have a meltdown?

No!

Instead, after a close early part of game-four, the Lady Lions responded by dominating Fall River. The score was 7-7, when the Lady Lions sent the Bull Dogs packing. A pair of aces by Finley directed Fall River to the door. Two Nadig kills sandwiched around a Pynes kill, made it 14-7. The Bulldogs stopped for some parting conversation, scoring a few points to make the score 20-14, but kills by Pynes, Loogman, and Nadig gave them the boot, for a 25-16 win.

Nadig led the Lady Lions with 10 aces and eight kills. Loogman had 14 kills and four blocks, and a less than 100-percent healthy Pynes still managed 14 kills and three aces. Finley had 24 assists, six aces, and a pair of blocks. Hillary Hampton recorded nine assists.

Etna Coach Kayla Nadig was ecstatic after the match.

“They were a team. It’s beautiful when they play as a team,” said Nadig. “It was wonderful to watch.”

The Lady Lions are now 5-2 in the SCL (15-14-2) and will travel to Weed on Tuesday, October 21 to take on the Lady Cougars (0-6, 2-13). Etna sits third in the SCL. Fall River still leads at 6-1, along with Burney at 6-1 (25-1). The Lady Lions two losses were on the road at Fall River (22-7-3) and Burney. Burney’s loss was to Fall River.

Etna JVs 2 – Fall River JVs 1

Lady Lion JV Katie Eiler absolutely went off on the Fall River Bulldog JVs, registering 11 kills in the 2-1 match win for Etna. Melissa Berry racked up four kills, and Tandy Thackeray blasted three aces, a pair of kills, and had several nice sets. Allyson Fleener and Marina Gutleban each had three kills. Abby Travis was a force at the net with two blocks and two kills. Keely Pindell registered a pair of aces.

Etna won game-one 25-22. Tessa Burrone had a spectacular dig on a hard Bulldog serve, which wound up back over the net, falling in for a kill to end the game.

Fall River battled back to win game-two 25-20.

The JV Lady Lions, however, let the Bulldogs know that they were in the Lions’ den, and set the tone for the varsity match, with a 15-10 win in game-three. The game was tied at 10-10, when Gutleban gave Etna the lead with a kill. Eiler used the old “change-piece” with a dink for a kill, making it 12-10. A Travis block upped the lead to 13-10. Eiler went back to the “heat” pounding a pair of kills to end the match.