EVERETT — The fifth annual breast cancer awareness match between the Everett and Cascade volleyball squads had an added element of emotion, Tuesday night. An injured senior captain, Tierney Bagley, returned from the hospital to join her Everett teammates just days after suffering a season-ending ba
ck injury.
Everett (3-0 overall) seized on the inspiration to sweep the nonleague match 25-14, 25-20 and 25-14.
“Cascade had some really strong hitters, I will say that,” Everett head coach Heather McLeod said, “but we came up with some strong defensive plays. (Our defense) was able to match up with the offense of Cascade led by our libero Jody Barhanovich.”
Barhanovich provided 27 digs for the Seagulls. Everett also received solid contributions from its frontcourt tandem of senior Sydney O’Neil, who had nine kills, and junior Loretta Forrest, who added seven.
Megan Miller led Cascade (0-3) with 11 assists.
The event which began as a fundraiser for former Cascade volleyball coach Wendy Close has been continued by the two teams every year since 2007 when it was first started by one of Close’s senior players. Now it is kept alive by two of Close’s former players turned coaches — McLeod and Danielle Marks.
However, with Bagley returning from the hospital in time for the game (she was wheeled out in a wheelchair and sat on the bench with her teammates), the emotion was heightened.
“(The event) is about coming together and it was even more apparent tonight,” McLeod added.
“I was pretty proud of my team with how they played because of all the emotion, I was a little concerned with how the game would play out but they handled themselves well.”
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