Prep volleyball: Glacier Peak 3, Meadowdale 2

Published 10:42 pm Tuesday, October 4, 2011

SNOHOMISH — Glacier Peak entered Tuesday’s showdown with Wesco 3A division-leading Meadowdale knowing it needed to do something big to get back into the race.

A five set, come-from-behind win over the previously undefeated Mavericks (5-1 league, 7-1 overall) qualified.

Ruby Mensing had 24 kills and 35 digs and senior Amanda Burgess had 57 assists for the Grizzlies which won the five-set thriller by scores of 25-23, 24-26, 15-25, 26-24 and 17-15.

Knocking off the league-leaders, sure wasn’t easy, though.

After taking the first set 25-23, Glacier Peak (3-2, 4-4) dropped the next two 24-26 and 15-25. But with the match on the line in the fourth set, the Grizzlies managed to stave off defeat with a nail-biting 26-24 win and followed it up with a razor-thin 17-15 fifth set win.

The key to the comeback? Simply playing volleyball like the team is capable of, according to Grizzlies head coach Chris Pratt.

“I think it was a re-commitment to the way we were playing in the first two games,” said Pratt. “I told the girls ‘I dont care if you win or lose, just play hard the way you did in the first two games.’ And they did.”

Junior Maddi Ober added 13 kills and two assists and Taylor Rasmussen had 40 digs for Glacier Peak. On the other end, senior Lindsey Milner had 23 kills and 26 digs and Payton Shrum dished out 42 assists for the Mavericks, which despite the loss, remained in first place ahead of Oak Harbor (4-1, 5-3), which lost in four games to Shorewood.

“Meadowdale’s a great team,” Pratt added. “They have been ever since we got in the league … it’s nice to know that we can play at that level.

“I honestly think it could have gone either way,” admitted Pratt. “We just got a couple of breaks, stayed disciplined and didn’t give up hope. How often are you going to get three opportunities to close out Meadowdale? Just getting those chances was pretty good.

“The kid’s played with a lot of heart.”