MOUNT SHASTA – There’s an old adage, “Don’t wake up a sleeping bear.” In Thursday’s volleyball match between the Etna Lady Lions and the Mt. Shasta Lady Bears, the Bears were wide awake and absolutely dominated Etna, until the Lady Lions woke up.

Mt. Shasta took a 2-1 lead in game-one on a side out and never looked back, as they cruised to an easy 25-16 win. Etna made just about every mistake imaginable in the game of volleyball

Game-two was more of the same, but the Lady Bears played even better. A kill by Chantel Stokes put Mt. Shasta up 6-4. Then, Amanda “Ace-O-Matic” Amesbury went to work, registering six straight aces, to make it 12-4. A Jeana Michels kill made it 13-4. The Lady Bears went on to win 25-15, with the final point coming via a Dayna Vogt kill.

Then, the slumbering Lady Lions woke up—slowly at first—but eventually with a roar.

Etna hopped out to a 2-0 lead in game-three on kills by Annalesia Nadig and Claire Pynes. It was Etna’s first lead of the match. The Lady Bears came back to tie it at 2-2, but a Pynes kill put Etna back up 3-2.

The Lady Bears came back to take the lead 11-9 on a pair of Amesbury kills. Mt. Shasta kept a slight edge for the next several points and led 17-15. Then, Etna went on a 7-0 run, behind strong serving by Tiffani Towne, to take command of the game 22-17.

A tip for a point by Lady Bear Michels made it 22-18, but Nadig answered with a tip of her own to give Etna back the serve, and a 23-18 lead. A kill by Pynes and an ace by Nadig sealed the game 25-18.

Etna led or was tied with Mt. Shasta until two thirds of the way through game-four. The Lady Bears took the lead 17-16, and a Michels ace made it 18-16. Etna tied it up again, 18-18, on a Nadig kill, and a kill by Pynes gave the Lady Lions the lead back at 19-18.

Trailing 20-19, Lady Bear Jaycee Sarti ripped a pair of aces, to give Mt. Shasta a 21-20 lead.

Kills by Paige Finley and Nadig gave Etna the edge 22-21, but the Lady Bears came right back on kills by Amesbury and Vogt to take the lead 23-22. A side out tied it 23-23, and a pair of aces by Pynes gave Etna the game-four win, tying the match 2-2.

Game-five was all Etna as the Lady Lions went out to a 5-1 lead, and dominated the rest of the way to win 15-5.

Pynes and Nadig led Etna with 14 kills a piece. Nadig also had three aces. Finley had 16 assists, and Hillary Hampton had 11. Teri Szczapanek notched five kills.

Unofficially, Amesbury led the Lady Bears with seven aces and five kills. Michels had three kills and three aces. Arianna Kosel recorded three kills and a pair of blocks.

Etna improved to 3-1 in the Shasta Cascade League (11-11-1) and will travel to Weaverville to take on Trinity (9-11, 2-1) on Thursday, October 9. The Lady Bears (2-7, 1-3) travel to Weed (2-8, 0-3) the same day.