Bombers Get Sweet Revenge on Lions - By Camryn Reynolds
The Richland High Bomber volleyball team came out with a vengeance, winning 3-1 in their home match against the Kennewick Lions on Thursday, October 19. In the previous match against the Lions, the Bombers lost 0-3, but they were not letting that happen again tonight. Richland won their redemption against Kennewick, keeping them tied with Chiawana for #3 in the Mid-Columbia Conference (MCC). The game's top players were Senior Outside Hitter #13, Jenna Holm, with 16 kills, Senior Setter #5, Addison Schow with 21 made serves, and Senior Libero #2, Ella McGee with 20 digs.
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| Photo: Tracey White |
Before the match, I had the chance to sit down and talk with the Head Coach of the volleyball team, Valerie Anderson. Due to losing the previous match against Kennewick a few weeks ago, I asked her how she felt about tonight. She said that she was very excited going into tonight. The girls are ready to fight for redemption and are very happy with having their shot at it. When talking about the last match-up, she said, "In the last match-up, we went in intending to play unified and as a team, but we fell apart. This time, we are going in with the same strategy but working with more control with the out-of-system balls and minimizing errors." The game's goal was most definitely met, as the girls played very well as a team, communicated much better, and did their best to keep the game in control.
I also got a moment to speak with senior Outside Hitter/Opposite Hitter #12, Emerson White. When asked how the team felt about the possible redemption, she said, "We are super excited and think it will be an excellent game. We are ready to come out with a vengeance. We plan on coming in and dominating and keeping our fight up."
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The fight was shown immediately on the Bomber's side of the court. The first set was challenging, with points being back and forth throughout. Kennewick led by a few points during certain spurts of the match, but the Bombers did not back down and took their leads during the set as well. Richland kept up and battled it out to win in the end 25-22, leading in sets 1-0. Key players of the set were Holm, with seven kills and multiple great passes, Senior Middle Hitter #11, Gracie Moss, with a significant net game in terms of blocks and kills, and McGee, getting almost every pass up with ease and being extra scrappy not to let the ball hit the floor.
At the start of the second set, the Bombers struggled slightly, giving the Lions an early advantage. The deficit was difficult for the Bombers to get out of, allowing Kennewick to lead the whole set. Kennewick came out on top at the end of the set, winning 25-18 and tying up the score 1-1. Even though Richland fell a little short this set, Schow had a superb set with a serving streak of four and excellent sets to her hitters. It was a little harder for the hitters to put the ball away this set; however, Moss and Holm each got two solid kills.
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With the third set in tow, the Bombers started strong with a kill, but the momentum leveled off, creating the path for Kennewick to have another early lead. Bombers catch back up, returning the set in their favor. The competitiveness between the two teams during the last few points of the set is insane, with each team battling their hearts out. Richland takes the set 25-20, making the score 2-1 Richland. This third set contained a chunk of impressive plays. Sophomore Hitter #1, Makiya Woodruff, had two kills, Junior Hitter #9, Anna Hansen, had three kills, White had four kills, and both Senior Defensive Specialist #4, Malia Haynes and Holm had a four-run serving streak.
Coming into the fourth set, Richland only needed to win this set to win the overall match and redeem themselves. Points between teams are close again, with each team fighting for the win. There are several super-long rallies and impeccable covering on both sides of the court. In the end, the Bombers beat out the Lions 25-17 for the win of the set and the match's win, 3-1. This set had several standout players: Moss with two kills and three blocks, Hansen with three kills, Holm with two blocks and two kills, Junior Opposite Hitter #3 Aubrey Hudson with three kills, White with three kills, and Schow with another serving streak of four.
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The match overall was very well fought out between the teams. Each team left it all out on the court and worked their hardest. The Bombers came out on top and took their well-earned revenge and redemption against the Kennewick Lions.
After the match, I got to chat with Jenna Holm, who had an exceptional game. "This win feels great, and we played much better compared to our first match against them. Practice this week helped prep us a lot because we worked on more six-on-six gameplay and discussed the positives versus the errors. We had great teamwork throughout the night and have really bonded as a team. I feel great going into our next game after tonight."
The Bomber's next volleyball match is at Walla Walla High School on October 21 at 1:00 p.m. The girls feel confident going in and hope to win to help solidify their ranking in the MCC.
