Coming off a complete rout of Rainier Christian last Friday night, it may have been easy for the unbeaten Bear Creek School volleyball team to feel complacent against the Evergreen Lutheran Eagles at home on Tuesday.
But the Grizzlies took nothing for granted as their patented front-line offense slammed home a number of timely kills, while setter Michele Brown had a tremendous match serving and setting, en route to a 3-0 Sea-Tac B league sweep of the Eagles by game scores of 25-20, 25-12, 25-14.
With the win, the Grizzlies improved to 4-0 in league play and 5-0 overall.
ACES IN THE HOLE
Early in the match, the Grizzlies committed many unforced errors and were plodding along, even with the Eagles at 7-7 and again at 11-11.
Then, with each team looking to take control of the game, Brown stepped up to serve. She whistled a low burner over the net that the Eagles were unable to return — one of her four aces in the opening game and season-high 12 of the match — and led the Grizzlies to six straight points which gave them the advantage they needed in the 25-20 win.
“She served great, that was the best I’ve seen her serve this year,” said Sherrie Brown, Michele’s mother and the team’s head coach. “She was hitting it hard, and it makes a difference when she serves and puts up a great ball, then our hitters have a chance.”
That statement rang true in game two, as the Grizzlies scored eight straight points with Michele at service to bury the Eagles early.
“When we serve, we try to pick seams (in the defense) so it’s hard for them to get to the ball, and we also try to serve to the weakest passer to upset their offense,” Michele explained. “An ace is just a bonus.”
The Grizzlies, who are taller than a lot of 4A teams with two girls at 6-foot-1, had their hitters firing on all cylinders as well.
Senior co-captain Maddie Easley led the offense with eight kills, followed by sophomore Makena Schoene with six and Dominique DuBois with five.
“It’s really nice because we’re deep,” Sherrie said of her team’s offensive explosion. “Whoever is up there is swinging hard, and they’re in the right position.”
Part of that positioning was due to a fine setting performance by Michele, whose 25 assists was also a season-high.
Defensively, the Grizzlies spread the wealth as five players recorded at least four point-saving digs, led by Morgan Cadigan and Nikki Peterson both with seven.
TEAM GROWTH
Fresh off their first trip to the 2B state volleyball championships at Yakima’s Sun Dome last year, the Grizzlies graduated just two and are poised to make another run with largely the same group.
“This year we’ve really gotten a lot closer,” noted Easley. “It’s been really fun to grow as a team.”
Even with a perfect record, the team knows that it needs to continue to improve and further limit its mistakes if it wants to earn another chance to bring home a trophy in November.
“Passing and communication,” said Sherrie when asked what improvements she’d like to see down the road. “We have to pass better, and I don’t know what team doesn’t say (that).”
Added Easley, “Defense always beats offense, and we really need to work on that.”
The Grizzlies played again at home against Cross Point Academy on Thursday night after the Reporter’s deadline.
