For the second time in a week the Washington volleyball team clashed with Riverside and for the second straight time the Pam Pack fell in three sets as the Knights won 25-22, 25-20, 25-21 on Monday.
It was just last Monday that the Pam Pack opened its season against Riverside, and though both battles ended in a loss, Washington coach Kelly Slade felt the quality of play increased in the second meeting.
“I think we did a lot better this week,” Slade said. “We did a lot better covering our spots and we did a lot better playing as a team. I think we definitely showed some improvement from the last time we played Riverside.”
The Knights (4-0, Four Rivers) rode strong starts in all three of their matches to take the win on Monday. Riverside led 10-3 in first match, 10-4 in the second and 11-4 in the third to preserve its perfect record.
“Volleyball is all about making runs,” Riverside coach Herbie Rogers said. “If you can make a run right from the start it makes it a whole lot easier.”
Slade concurred and said that her team must do a better job at the beginning of its matches.
“That’s what we just discussed,” Slade said after the game. “We need to harness our energy and bring it out (early). I think it’s just a matter of going out with the right attitude and going out focused and believing we could do it.”
The Knights were led by Jesse Anne Rogers who racked up 17 service points and nine kills, while Madison Brandon tallied 11 kills and two blocks and Rachel Baker recorded a game-high 13 kills and two blocks.
Rogers felt the quality of his team’s serves took a dip from the two teams’ previous meeting but was pleased that his team came up with strong serves when it counted the most.
While the serving may have been inconsistent, the hitting by the Knights’ net players was strong the entire game.
“I thought our hitters hit the ball,” Rogers said. “I thought Kasey (Hall) did a good job of getting the ball to them and the backline passed well too.”
The Pam Pack (1-3, Coastal Conference) was led by Adriana Tyson who had a team-high five kills and two blocks, while Megan Corey had five blocks and four kills. Kaylee Jackson was a force on defense as she led the team with three blocks.
“I think Kaylee Jackson stepped up and had some solid work at the net. She played really good defense and did a nice job setting the ball and digging the ball,” Slade said.
Washington’s team defense made distinct strides since the first matchup and that was something that pleased Slade.
“I really liked our defense today,” Slade said. “I think we did a good job adjusting to Riverside’s offense, a lot better job then we did the last time.”
Both teams will be back in action today as the Pam Pack will be at J.H. Rose and the Knights will host North Pitt.