SNOHOMISH — On paper, Tuesday’s volleyball match between Snohomish and undefeated Cascade should have been a thriller.
The Panthers came in with a 3-1 record and had needed five sets in all three of their victories. Cascade had played two five-setters en route to a 4-0 record and first place in the Wesco 4A.
The result of Tuesday’s match was much different than the expectation. The Panthers dominated from start to finish, sweeping the Bruins and handing them their first loss of the season. Set scores were 25-12, 25-14 and 25-15.
The Panthers made it look easy, but Snohomish head coach Alex Tarin insisted it wasn’t.
“Volleyball is never easy,” Tarin said. “Our girls were on tonight. In our pregame talk we talked about eliminating our errors so that we can be a great team. We haven’t had a great match from start to finish. Tonight that was our goal — from start to finish, let’s dominate.
“All of the goals that we had tonight we hit.”
Tarin said it was the best his team had played so far this season.
The opposite was true for the Bruins.
“From the moment that we started warming up, we could just see as a coaching staff that something wasn’t there — and it showed on the court,” Cascade first-year head coach Maddie Benson said.
Everything seemed to come together for the Panthers, who used a run of eight consecutive points in the first set to take control of the match. The Bruins never fully recovered.
“It’s sounds bad to say it, but to be completely honest, our entire team had an off night on the same night,” Benson said. “I told them, ‘at least we got it out of our systems, but next time can we not have an off night together.”
Snohomish junior Kyla Mellick set the tone early. Her ace on the Panthers’ second winning point of the match exploited a weakness that had been a strength for the Bruins in their first four matches: serve-receive.
“Tonight, it wasn’t there,” Benson said. “Their (the Panthers’) serves were amazing. It’s hard to defend that.”
The Bruins never found an answer for Mellick, who finished the match with 10 aces.
“She’s been a strong server for us ever since her freshman year and she’s always working on it in practice,” Tarin said. “We work on serving a lot in practice. She wants me to video her and we look at it. Just to get better, she asks me, ‘Coach, where do you want me to serve?’ We give her spots on the floor and she can hit them.”
Mellick was just as potent as a hitter, finishing tied for the team lead with Mackenzie Harris at 10 kills.
“She’s definitely our workhorse,” Tarin said. “When she’s in that front row, and Jessica (Brennis) as well, I can count on them to get swings. That’s what I love about our team, I think we’re so well-balanced.”
Mellick, Harris and Brennis exhibited that balance by combining for 29 kills. Mellick and Harris each had 10 and Brennis added nine.
In addition to her nine kills, Brennis had two aces, four blocks and eight digs.
“She’s our Energizer Bunny,” Tarin said of Brennis. “Every time she goes out there I remind her, ‘Bring the energy.’ When she goes in, she does. She brings the energy.”
Just as important to the Panthers’ offensive balance is senior setter Kendle Valade-Nunez, who finished with 31 assists. Her knack for knowing which player to feed and when to feed them has helped the Panthers become one of the most feared offensive teams in the league.
“It’s her instincts,” Tarin said. “She’s been setting many, many years, so she knows where to go to.”
The Panthers’ victory evened their record with Cascade. At 4-1, both teams are tied for first place in the Wesco 4A, along with Mount Vernon and Kamiak.
At Snohomish H.S.
Cascade 12 14 15 — 0
Snohomish 25 25 25 — 3
Highlights—Cascade: Tiara Huffaker four kills; Michelle Dmitruk four kills; Oliva Chatters seven blocks. Snohomish: Jessica Brennis, nine kills, two aces, four blocks and eight digs; McKenzie Harris, 10 kills, three blocks; Kyla Mellick, 10 kills, 10 aces, five digs; Kindle Valade-Nunez, 31 assists, one ace, six digs; Cyrene Hertzog, two aces, 17 receptions, 14 digs. Records—Cascade 4-1 league, 4-1 overall. Snohomish 4-1, 4-1.
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