FEDERAL WAY - It was a case of Christian Faith School (Federal Way) landing more power shots in a SeaTac League 3-1 girls volleyball win against the battling visitors of Evergreen Lutheran High School at the Boys and Girls Club Ex3 Ron Sandwith Teen Center on Tuesday, Oct. 9.
Evergreen Lutheran reached 2-3 league and 5-4 overall.
"Our girls played tough after the first set," said ELHS head coach Allen Ash. "It was a tough match and the girls fought for all the points. We had a lot of good attacks and digging. The girls didn't let many balls drop. They're excited about their play against a good team."
Trailing 5-0 in the first set between teams that each had Eagles as their Mascot, Evergreen Lutheran used good serves and set ups to eventually close within 8-6 before communication breakdowns aided Christian Faith in a five-point surged that ballooned the home team dominance to 13-6.
In addition to Evergreen Lutheran mistakes, Christian Faith capitalized on its tall and powerful front line to launch powerful kill attempts.
Emulating the coldness of the gym, the visitors from Des Moines went into a frigid state of play against the nearly unstoppable tidal wave-like scoring of the onrushing opponents. Christian Faith turned a 13-7 advantage into a 22-7 lead before controlling the current for a 25-9 win.
Resuscitating their game back to life, the EL Eagles began to dig their way back into contention and trailed only 13-11 in the second set. Christian Faith pounded its way to a 16-11 margin, but Evergreen Lutheran shot back within three points at 17-14.
Despite fighting gallantly, mistakes emerged to help the CFS Eagles fly to a 23-14 lead en route to a 25-15 second set victory.
Playing in front of an exuberant Christian Faith audience, Evergreen Lutheran pulled itself off life support, opening up set No. 3 with a side out before capturing five consecutive points behind the serve of Kira Zehfus. Strong defense against bludgeoning attacks enable ELHS to build up a 10-3 margin before Christian Faith rallied with bullet-like kills in a steady climb to an 11-11 draw.
Evergreen Lutheran turned a 15-13 edge into an 18-13 command keyed by a Zehfus two-hand twisting shot and Karissa Kjenstad's back line to back line kill.
Ignited by Casey Peele's bazooka style kills, Christian Faith School pulled into an 18-18 deadlock. EL seized the moment after the teams were in a 19-19 stand off. After Evergreen Lutheran gained side out, Emma Poetter moved into the server position and the EL Eagles scored five consecutive points. Poetter set up Kjenstad for a kill that made the score 22-19 Evergreen Lutheran. Poetter's next serve baffled the CFS back line ahead of an Amelia Menges middle block for a 24-19 visitors lead as the EL Eagles earned a 25-20 set triumph.
"Teamwork and passing were the keys," said Poetter who earned 10 assists. "You do the most with these. The other is tall and talented."
Locked a 7-7 deadlock in the fouth game, Christian Faith fashioned an 11-7 margin. CFS went on create a 20-11 control, but Kjenstad notched a kill for an EL side out. Kjenstad pounded another kill and the Eagles from Des Moines clawed their way within 20-15.
Evergreen Lutheran was within 22-17 before Christian Faith gained the next two points on the road to the 25-18 set victory that dropped the curtain on this exciting encounter.
Kjenstad put away eight kills while libero Kari Severeid earned eight digs.
Casey Peele, Sola Amosun and Katrice Pond were prominent in the Christian Faith offense and blocking.
