Typified by youthful errors for most of the season, the Napavine volleyball team played with a consistent fire coach Monica Dailey had seen just in spurts this season, but it wasn’t enough in a four-set loss to Wahkiakum (25-15, 18-25, 25-21, 25-14) Wednesday night in Onalaska.
The loss means that the Tigers season is over.
“They played super hard, they are a great group,” Dailey said. “They worked super hard for me and really grew as players this year.”
Wednesday’s game was back-and-forth after a dominant Mules first set, with long rallies and defense-galore in the do-or-die, loser-out game.
Grace Gall finished with eight kills and 28 digs, and freshman Emily Kang dug up everything, going for 41 digs in the losing effort. But as was the case for most of the season, the Tigers inexperience caught up with them.
“Wahkiakum covered the floor really well,” Dailey said. “There were a lot of volleys back and forth and they didn’t fall our way.”
Avery Schutz (15 assists), Nikki Ahmann (12 digs), and Eden Engel, who was very aggressive at the net, all featured well for the Tigers, per Dailey. Four players served at 100% for the night: Gall, Kang, Schutz, and Engel.
Typically, the last game of the season for most teams is a somber moment, but with no upperclassmen on their varsity roster, Dailey said the Tigers were already asking after the game if they could go back in the gym to work on their game.
Though its season is over, Napavine should return every contributor from this season to next, and the year after, after finishing sixth in the Central 2B League and being two wins away from state contention this season.
