Somehow surviving 10 service errors in the first set, the Adna volleyball team became the first league opponent to take a set from Kalama since last November, but couldn’t keep up the momentum in a four-set defeat, 27-29, 25-17, 25-17, 25-13.
The shift came in the second set, when the Chinooks began to adjust to the Pirates block and get their kill attempts over the Adna block.
“We played a little bit stronger and more aggressively that first game,” Pirates coach Wendie Dotson said. “Kalama started hitting the ball and changing angles on the ball, so they moved our defense around all the time. When we got out of sync, we weren’t as aggressive as we could’ve been.”
Brooklyn Loose had four kills, eight assists, and four aces for the Pirates, and Gaby Guard added nine assists, three kills, and an ace from the setter spot. Parker Feist dug up eight balls and recorded three aces, Natalie Humphrey had 11 digs in the back row, and Danika Hallom was impressive in the opening set, digging up nine balls and recording a team-high 13 kills.
Kendall Humphrey added nine kills, two aces, and 10 digs to round out Adna’s contributors.
And the Pirates know, after taking on the state-caliber Chinooks, that they have plenty to work on following just their second loss of the season.
“We know what we have to work on,” Dotson said. “We can’t miss on as many serves. We have to work on playing on the same level as them. A few times we backed off and played safer to not lose the point, which gave them the opportunity to play aggressively and put us away.”
The Pirates will look to bounce back against Morton-White Pass on Thursday.
