Bombers Blank the Suns - By Austin Patterson

    After a tough loss on Tuesday to the Hanford Falcons, the Bombers were looking to bounce back with a big win as they take on the Southridge Suns. The Bombers would end up completing the sweep of the Suns, winning 3-0.

Gracie Moss (7) with a set-winning kill.

   Playing against Southridge and over halfway through the season, Coach opened up about her experience so far, “There are some challenges as it is my first year coaching, but the girls have adapted and have dealt with the change well.” The Bombers and Suns would always have close games in the past years. But ever since the 2016-17 season, the Bombers would have a thirteen-game winning streak against the Suns, improving their record against the Suns to 17-7 since the 08-09 season.

   This game would be an important one as the number one spot in the conference is a race between three other teams. The Bombers would get off to a hot start going up 3-0, with Senior Ella Carrick serving for two of the three points. But Southridge would bounce back with two points of their own. It would be back and forth the next couple of points, but the Bombers would serve the ball out, which coach Valarie Anderson would comment on, “We are struggling with serving the ball in bounds”. And these out-of-bound serves would cost them points later on in the game. However, after some great rallies, the score would end up becoming 7-6 Bombers. Then, the Bombers would go on a huge momentum booster getting seven points in a row, with Senior Ella Carrick getting two kills in the seven points. 

   It would be a battle up until the final point, as the Suns were not going to go down without a fight. But the Bombers would prevail, winning the first set 25-18 as Junior Gracie Moss would get the set-winning kill to put the Bombers up after the first set.

Coach Anderson and the Bombers huddling between sets.

   Early on in the second set, the Bombers would be off to a dominant start once again, with a 7-3 advantage. But just like the first set, the Suns would rally back to make it 8-6. Then another costly serve out of bounds by Richland would make it 8-7. However, the Bombers would get their momentum back together and go up 18-12 with a kill from Montana State University Billings commit Senior Kenzie Nealon. The Bombers will then be ahead by 22-13 with important points from Seniors Cassidi Ashbeck and Ella Carrick. The Suns would prove that they wouldn’t roll over as they would storm back and make it 24-22, it could be the first time since the 16-17 season that Southridge could win a set against the Bombers, but Southridge would use a momentum-killing timeout which would eclipse their chances of coming back, giving the Bomber the win 25-22 winning set two. 

   Going into the third set, the Bombers had the look of a team determined to complete the sweep. The Suns would get off a quick two points against the Bombers, but Richland would get two quick points of their own, tying the game up. Then, Junior Jenna Holm would add two points of her own to put the Bombers up. This set proved to be a back-and-forth battle like the previous sets until Junior Christine Rew would bring the serving that Coach Anderson wanted to see from her ladies. Christine would end up getting back-to-back-to-back points in three consecutive serves, making it 11-5. The fourth serve would start a back-and-forth rally, capped by a point for the Bombers that would erupt the Bomber bench with cheer. And with that fire in their hearts, the Bombers would keep on rolling, making it 20-13. Southridge would serve the ball, and it would be another great rally until Southridge hit it over the net, presumably getting the point and the Southridge girls would cheer, but Junior Ella Mcgee would make a spectacular save and keep the ball in the air for enough time for Richland to get the point making it 21-13.

Ella Mcgee with the serve.

   With Richland’s next serve going out of bounds, the Suns would look to use the momentum. However, the Bombers would squash their momentum chances and put the set and game on the edge of completion at 23-16. The Suns would strike back with another rally, cutting the Bomber’s lead to 24-23. The Suns would serve the ball, starting another good rally, with the Suns bench getting louder and their tiny student section trying their best to hype them up. But the momentum set killer, Junior Gracie Moss, knew how to put a stop to them, putting up an amazing game-winning block.

   The Bombers look to start a new win streak as their next game is against the Hermiston Bulldogs at home. The article against Hermiston will be posted on Monday.