Lebanon varsity volleyball fell in four hard fought sets to Pacific Tuesday, Head Coach Jenny Collins reported in an email. The match ended Lebanon’s postseason play.
The set scores: 25-17 (Lebanon), 25-21 (Pacific), 25-23 (Pacific), 25-19 (Pacific).
Stat leaders:
Aces: Addi Dent, Harper Starnes, Liv Ahmann, Rikki Reimers 2
Kills: Liv Ahmann 16, Lily Waterman 15, Keira Reid & Kenzie Uder 5
Assists: Harper Starnes 42
Digs: Addi Dent 16, Lily Waterman 12, Baylyn Williams 11
Kill Blocks: Keira Reid & Liv Ahmann 2
Collins said districts in volleyball are a high-stakes time of the season.
“It marks the start of postseason play, where everything a team has worked for all year comes down to critical games. Knowing that every match could be the last brings incredible pressure and emotion, but at the same time brings renewed focus and incredible effort from our players,” she said.
She said the team (fifth seed) expected the first round match against Pacific (fourth seed) to be a good one. Lebanon battled in each set and at times exchanged points with Pacific.
Ahmann and Waterman led the offensive by respectively earning 16 and 15 kills, according to Collins. Starnes as setter delivered a deceptive ball that allowed hitters Reid, Uder and Reimers to contribute kills.
“This was a focus the past few days in practice, working to spread out our offense to make us harder to defend,” Collins said.
She was also pleased with the serve-receive efforts of Dent, Williams, Waterman, and Reimers, which gave the team many offensive opportunities throughout the night.
Volleyball’s moments felt bigger in district play, Collins said, and the team often grows closer.
“There's something special about seeing everyone playing for each other and working towards one more day together as a team,” she said. “While we were able to take one set from Pacific and had opportunities within the other sets to grab another set win, we just weren't able, in the end, finish with the win.”
She was proud of the team and its efforts throughout the season, the ways its athletes battled their opponents and supported one another in practice. That support, she said, spoke to their characters.
“The feeling was heavy in the locker room after the match,” she said. “I think the realization of knowing the journey together is over, all the shared bus rides, the laughs, the grind of practices and the competitive fight that was embraced with each other day after day.
“For our four seniors,” she continued, “knowing it is not just the end of the season, but the end of an era is tough. It is the last time they will put on a Lebanon volleyball uniform and compete with their team.”
Collins was thankful for the engagement, commitment and leadership of this year’s seniors over their volleyball careers. Dent, Williams, Waterman, and Reid would continue being great people, she said, and they had displayed the standard for the younger athletes.
“They've seen how much time and effort being committed to this program takes and how much it matters,” she said. “They know that their season hasn't ended, yet that it is their turn to build on it with continued work in the off-season and commitment to building strength in the weight room.”
