Badgers volleyball falls to Lincoln County in straight sets
Seniors Reese Lane (15) and Avery Pluid (3) perform a handshake during the Badgers' 3-0 loss to Lincoln County Saturday night.
BONNERS FERRY — The Bonners Ferry High School volleyball team fell in straight sets to Lincoln County Saturday afternoon, dropping three hard-fought sets 25-19, 29-27, 25-14.
Down 1-0 in the match, the Badgers (1-4) took a five-point lead in the second set but let it slip through their fingers as Lincoln County roared back to win in extra points. It was downhill from there for Bonners Ferry, which ran out of gas in the third set.
“When we have a good hit or a good block we get on a high,” said Bonners Ferry head coach Kendra Maas. “But when we lose a couple points, that’s when we back off because we’re afraid that we’re gonna make a mistake.”
The first set was a back-and-forth affair as the two teams traded points and small runs until Lincoln County surged ahead late in the period and held on for the 25-19 win.
Bonners Ferry answered back in the second set, jumping out to an early lead and keeping Lincoln County at arm’s length for most of the set. But the Lions wouldn’t go away early and kept chipping away at the Badgers’ lead. Bonners Ferry served for set point but couldn’t pull through, and Lincoln County took the set, 29-27.
“In the second set I almost feel like we were a little nervous,” Maas said. “Because [Lincoln County] was catching up … I keep saying to play to win, not play to lose.”
The Badgers hung in for the first few points of the third set, but Lincoln County proved to be too much in the set as communication errors plagued Bonners Ferry to the tune of a disappointing 25-14 loss in the final set.
“We could have definitely talked a lot better,” said senior outside hitter Reese Lane. “We definitely need to correct that but it does happen sometimes. That’s probably our biggest issue as a team.”
Senior defensive specialist Lexie Maas led the Badgers with 13 digs, while Lane paced the team with six kills and tied for the team lead with two aces.
The Bonners Ferry volleyball team will be back in action on Monday at 7 p.m. for a home match against Kellogg.