Skyline Spartans come from behind to defeat Issaquah Eagles in a five-set match
On Thursday, Nov. 13, the Skyline Spartans girls’ volleyball team defeated the Issaquah Eagles, 3-2, in a hard-fought battle over five sets.
The Spartans took the lead early in the first set, but the Eagles were not deterred. A pair of aces from Zoe Bloch kept Issaquah in the game. Answering with an ace from Skyline’s Sanika Vipin and a spike from Emma Gutke gave the Spartans a five-point lead, 12-7, before the Eagles fought back.
A block from Bryn Walcott changed the momentum for Issaquah and the Eagles went on to score six unanswered points, gaining the lead, 21-20. But an error on the Issaquah side of the net gave Skyline an opportunity to reverse course. With a spike from Carly Maginnis, the Spartans ended the first set with a 25-22 win.
Heading into the second set, it was clear that Issaquah knew they could not afford to fall two sets behind. A commanding spike from Walcott and a well-placed tip from Josefina Anguita Dominguez gave the Eagles a dominating early lead, 7-1.
Attempting to close the gap, Gutke’s spike brought the Spartans within one, trailing 12-11. But the Eagles took it from there, and they dominated the second set. A spike from Molly Yoshino energized Issaquah and the Eagles added five unanswered points. Bloch ended the set with a 25-12 win for the Eagles.
Tied with one set a piece, both teams fought hard. A spike from Gutke tied it up but consistent pressure from Yoshino and Walcott held the Spartans at bay. A block from Madyson McGrath allowed Issaquah to end the third set, 25-22. The Eagles led 2-1 over the Spartans.
Issaquah only needed one more set to end the match. The Spartans came into the fourth set determined to tie it up and force a fifth set. As both teams played aggressively, a block from Piper Hawryluk was the spark Skyline needed to take the lead. The Spartans kept the pressure on the Eagles by gaining a mid-set 9-point lead that included a spike from Maginnis and a well-timed block from Grace Schessler.
Issaquah managed to close the gap but ran out of energy. Another spike from Maginnis ended the fourth set for a Skyline victory, 25-22.
Heading into the fifth set, tensions were palpable for both teams. Neither team could afford to let up since the fifth set was only played to 15 points. There was no room for error.
The Eagles took an early lead when Bloch scored with an ace. Gutke got the Spartans motivated when she added a point on a spike and an ace from Maginnis tied the set, 6-6. With momentum on their side, Skyline claimed an additional five unanswered points. A service error sealed the deal and Skyline took the fifth set with a 15-12 win.
While the win guaranteed the Spartans a ticket to the state tournament, the loss ended the season for the Eagles.
Libero Sanika Vipin said “It was pretty exciting going to five sets and winning against them.
Though the Issaquah Eagles had beaten the Skyline Spartans three times this season, Coach Eddie Guerrero said “We knew Issaquah’s tendencies and we adjusted really well when we needed to.”
The Skyline Spartans lost to the Lake Stevens Vikings on Saturday, Nov. 15 in three sets. They will play the Olympia Bears on Friday, Nov. 21.
