Sophomore Taryn Wallace, left, and Freshman Myla Giovannoni prepapre to receive La Center’s return during a Sept. 15 at Columbia High School.Nathan Wilson photo
Sophomore Taryn Wallace, left, and Freshman Myla Giovannoni prepapre to receive La Center’s return during a Sept. 15 at Columbia High School.Nathan Wilson photo
WHITE SALMON — Columbia High split two home Trico League volleyball matches last week, leaving the Bruins in fourth place two weeks into conference play.
Columbia lost in straight sets to La Center on Sept. 15 and swept visiting Fort Vancouver on Sept. 17.
Columbia lost in three sets to unbeaten La Center, but the Bruins were competitive against the Wildcats, especially in sets No. 2 and 3. La Center won the first set, 25-15, on a Paige Sherry stuff block for a winner. The visitors pulled away late in the second set, a 25-18 win.
In that set, Columbia trailed 16-14 before La Center scored six of the next eight points. The Bruins were able to stave off a couple of set points, including at 24-18 when a McKena Carlock service ace cut the margin to six points. But like she did in the first set, Sherry hit a winner to close the out the set.
La Center led most of the clinching set, but Columbia wouldn’t let the Wildcats get comfortable. A four-point scoring burst pulled the Bruins within 18-17 before a passing error slowed the home team’s momentum. A three-point Columbia swing, capped by Joella Posini’s stuff block pulled the Bruins to within 23-21. But a service error and a Tilly Blank spike gave La Center a 25-21 win.
Columbia was tested in the first set against Fort Vancouver but pulled away for a 25-14 win. Sets No. 2 and 3 were by 25-10 and 25-7 margins and enabled Coach Naomi Posini to juggle her lineup a bit.
The first set was tied 11-11 before Fiona Grabb went on an 8-0 service run helping the Bruins pull away. Grabb started the second set with a 7-0 service run before she proved human and hit one into the net. Her serving prowess set the tone for match, as she served out the match after the Bruins took an 18-10 lead. A spike by Joella Posini set up set point for the home team.
Fort held a 1-0 lead in set No. 3 before Grabb started serving again after the Bruins regained possession on her spike for a point. Her ace made it 6-1 and it was 14-3 when Fort called a timeout to try and stymie the Columbia momentum. Genesis Orozco served the match point. A Fort pass floated a little too far and Columbia’s Taryn Wallace put it away for a winner.
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