In Napavine’s first matchup with Kalama earlier this season, the Tigers roared out to a 2-0 lead, but needed all five sets to stave off a Chinooks comeback.
Thursday on their home court, however, the Tigers didn’t need five sets, as they slammed the door on Kalama in a convincing sweep in C2BL play, winning 25-13, 25-16, 25-12.
“My girls put it all together tonight, and I was so proud of them,” Napavine coach Monica Dailey said. “They kept their energy high. They were just determined to play well all the way around, and I feel like we did.”
It was clear early on that it was Napavine’s night, as the Tigers (9-1, 3-0 C2BL) jumped out to an 11-4 lead. After Kalama scored the next two points, the Tigers went on an 8-0 run that included two aces from Grace Gall.
Keira O’Neill later sealed the set, scoring each of the last three points for the Tigers with two spikes and an ace of her own.
Set two was the closest of the three, but it was still one that Napavine controlled from start to finish. The third set was no different, as the Tigers raced out to a 7-1 lead and never looked back.
In the final set, Briza Contreras had back-to-back aces, Dakota Hamilton had back-to-back successful spikes, and O’Neill capped it off late with three successful spikes of her own.
“Our serve receive gave us a lot of hitting opportunities,” Dailey said. “And our defense was amazing tonight, picked up a lot of balls and gave us a lot of opportunities to hit, and my hitters were ready at all times.”
When Kalama was able to score, it was either the result of a Napavine mistake or a long rally, as the Tigers rarely allowed the ball to hit the floor.
“I felt like they really paid attention to where the hitters were coming through the lanes, and they were getting in the proper angles to dig those balls,” Dailey said. “They just flat out hustled.”
Hamilton finished with 14 assists, 10 kills and three aces, O’Neill finished with 12 kills and two aces on perfect serving. Jessie McCoy was also stellar serving, finishing with five aces in addition to 10 assists and six kills.
Emily Kang and Grace Gall were excellent on serve receive, as Kang tallied 16 digs, and Gall recorded nine.
While this win did push the Tigers to 9-1, Dailey thinks that this can be the blueprint moving forward that can lead the Tigers to success.
“They know that I have a lot of faith in them,” Dailey said. “If my team can come and play like they did tonight, I think they can take anyone.”
The Tigers return to the court on Tuesday in Morton against the Timberwolves.
