COEUR d'ALENE - The Coeur d'Alene Vikings were well on their way to victory in the first game of Thursday night's 5A Inland Empire League volleyball match with Lake City when the Vikings ran into a roadblock.

The roadblock's name was Madi Farrell.

Farrell, a 6-foot-2 junior middle blocker, took over at the net late in the first game, and Lake City rallied in all three games to beat Coeur d'Alene 25-23, 25-21, 25-21 at Lake City.

"Playing Coeur d'Alene is always a nerve-wracking experience," said Farrell, who finished with nine kills and 3.5 blocks for the Timberwolves (3-0) in their league opener. "It (the first game) was like, 'this is not how we play; this is not our team. We've got to take it to them, and stop fooling around and get the job done.'"

Coeur d'Alene (3-2, 0-2) led 19-11 in the first game, and still led 20-17 when Farrell, who missed last season after suffering a torn ACL in her left knee in June 2011, took over. She blocked a pair of overfeeds down for points, then teamed with Kylie Curtis on a block. Farrell then blocked another Viking hit for a 22-20 lead, and the Timberwolves were on their way.

"Madi's had a phenomenal first three matches for us," Lake City coach Bret Taylor said. "She's hitting, without a doubt, the best I've ever seen her hit. She can control it at the net. Some of those blocks (on overfeeds) were set up by our serving."

Curtis, who set a 5-1 in the first game before the T-Wolves switched to their usual 6-2 offense at the end of the first game and stayed with it the rest of the way, finished with 14 kills, 10 assists and three aces. Outside hitter Natalie Taylor added five kills, Brittany Gay had 14 assists and Kaity Widmyer had eight digs.

“I think the girls believe that they can (come back),” Bret Taylor said. “There’s times that we had some unforced errors, but we didn’t give up. We pushed them hard through this preseason and in two-a-days, and I think that shows when it comes down to game time — they know how to handle that kind of pressure, and they don’t get too rattled by it.”

Coeur d’Alene led 19-16 in the second game, and 19-15 in the third game before faltering.

“I think everyone was getting a little nervous,” said Viking senior hitter Kayla McGlathery, who led the team with 12 kills — six in the first game. “She (Farrell) had a great game, I’ll give her that, but I just think we got in our own heads. I think we let it get to us in the second and third game.”

Sydney Williams had nine kills and three blocks for Coeur d’Alene. Miranda Miller had five kills and seven digs, Ashley Hammons 17 assists, Megan Ramseyer nine assists and two aces, and Amy Norris six digs.

Both teams are scheduled to play in the Lakeland Invitational on Saturday.