BOTHELL — The Shorewood volleyball team put its undefeated record on the line Tuesday night, and that streak was very much in doubt in the late going against Lynnwood.
Against the host Royals, who were trying to overtake Shorewood and move into first place in the Wesco 3A South, the Thunderbirds took a 2-1 lead through three sets, only to see Lynnwood rally to take set No. 4. Then in the decisive fifth set, the Royals jumped out to an 8-3 lead and the home crowd was making lots of noise.
But Shorewood never lost its poise. The T-birds battled back, tying the set score five times and even leading once. Then, after shrugging off a match-point service from Lynnwood, Shorewood closed the match with three straight points of its own to snag a 25-23, 19-25, 25-12, 19-25, 16-14 victory.
It was dramatic, thrilling, and ultimately a great relief to Shorewood coach Jennifer Chartrand.
“I feel like my girls were not as consistent as we normally are,” she said. “We made a lot of errors. … But Lynnwood was a great team. They played really well. They were very scrappy and they kept a lot of balls in play.”
“I think Lynnwood was probably the best team we’ve played this season,” agreed Shorewood senior Joely Shepard. “They were fantastic. … There was a lot of competitiveness. Both teams fought so hard, and it was one of the best games I’ve ever played in my life.”
Junior libero Maria Bartell had 37 digs for Shorewood, “which is pretty impressive,” Chartrand said. Outside hitters Elli Allen-Hatch and Delaney Hopen, both seniors, had 19 kills and 15 kills.
The outcome improves Shorewood to 7-0 in league matches and 10-0 overall, and Chartrand is encouraged as she looks ahead to her team’s remaining matches.
“I feel pretty confident,” she said. “(The T-birds) are playing together unlike any team I’ve ever coached before. They have a calm paired with confidence, and I like that.
“We have (seven) seniors, so we have a lot of experience on the court. It’s clicking really well this year. I feel like they can face whatever’s put in front of them.”
A year ago, Shorewood won the regular-season league title, but then went ker-splat in the district tournament, losing the first two matches and getting eliminated. That memory can only help motivate the team going forward, the T-birds say.
“There’s so many ways for us to improve, and it’s great that we’re still going up and not just plateauing,” Hopen said. “I feel we can get so much better and that’s exciting.”
“We have huge expectations for ourselves,” Shepard added. “That’s what our wonderful coaches have trained us to do, is set really high goals. The sky isn’t even the limit anymore.”
The loss drops Lynnwood to 6-2 in Wesco and 7-3 overall.
At Lynnwood H.S.
Shorewood 25 19 25 19 16 — 3
Lynnwood 23 25 12 25 14 — 2
Highlights—Shorewood: Joely Shepard 7 kills, 16 digs; Elli Allen-Hatch 19 kills, 13 digs; Delaney Hopen 15 kills, 12 digs; Maria Bartell 37 digs; Taryn Shelley 5 kills, 13 digs, 42 assists. Lynnwood: Naomi Stazel 13 kills, 6 blocks; Kaprice Boston 10 kills, 3.5 blocks; Anna Greenwood 9 kills, 17 digs; Katie Swan 6 kills, 47 assists, 20 digs; Katie Mansfield 40 digs. Records—Shorewood 7-0 league, 1-0 overall. Lynnwood 6-2, 7-3
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