MOSES LAKE – On Tuesday, the Mavericks (6-5) fell 3-0 to the visiting Davis Pirates. Head coach Krystal Trammell felt the Mavs were playing on their heels instead of being the aggressor.   

“They played well, but there was no urgency. We stayed in it. We completely out-manned them, out-gunned them. We were hitting; we just didn't have the urgency to complete,” Trammell said.   

In three sets, the Mavericks had moments of brilliance. They defended the net and scored several points off Davis's miscues, but they struggled to capitalize by scoring off serves. They climbed back into the game at multiple points to tie, but the Pirates found a way to pull away and secure the win.   

The Pirates took the lead early in the first set, but the Mavs kept it close. Kardyn Martinez and Caitlin Decubber continued to dominate the net. With the Mavericks on their heels, Davis found a way to pull away late to win the first set 25-20.   

In the second set, it was much of the same for the Mavericks. They started strong with the lead, but the Pirates punched back and gained the lead. The Mavericks were still having a hard time scoring off serves. Trammell saw those mistakes as leaving points on the court.   

“We do a lot of serving in practice. They just need to go back there and be fundamentally sound, know where they're at in the match, in the set, and perform. We can't have missed serves like that,” she said.   

Davis pulled away to win the second set 25-20 and took a 2-0 lead in the game.   

In the third set, the Mavericks came out energetic. They kept the score close with hustle plays. Alivia Dehoog kept the ball in play after diving for it as it was heading toward the boundary line. That play provided a spark for the Mavs. Down 8-12, they went on a run to tie the game at 12.   

Trammell said she played with rotations against Davis, and it seemed to pay off at times. Martinez found more opportunities to score, and Lilliana Roylance made a huge play for the Mavs. She blocked a kill attempt by Davis and was there to make a kill of her own just a second later.   

“The last week or two, she's been coming on when we're down at Sunnyside. She and Kardyn both were unstoppable in that middle. I'm just like, ‘Give it to her,’ I tell them to feed whoever’s on in that given situation,” Trammell said.   

Davis had to put up 26 points to finally put away the Mavs in the third set to win 26-24 and the game 3-0.   

Despite the loss, the Mavericks had a lot of bright spots. During long rallies, they remained poised and found ways to score.   

“We work mentally on staying in the game. They depend on each other. They're a fantastic group of girls, and the trust level they have with each other on and off the court, just as friends and young ladies, is amazing. I told them, ‘I couldn't imagine going through a season with any other girls,’ because they’re awesome in what they do,” Trammell said.   

Trammell said the next couple of weeks are going to go fast. She feels it’s going to come down to the play-in spot for districts, and it will be important to instill more urgency in their play. If they can be explosive and peak at the right time, the Mavericks will be poised to finish the season strong.   

“Once they can initiate and be more aggressive the entire way through, it's going to be beautiful. They're second in the conference right now. We played, okay, we can do a lot better. Once that urgency is there around the postseason, (the) girls have them,” Trammell said.   

The Mavericks hit the road Thursday to play West Valley at 7 p.m.   

BOX SCORE:   

MLHS: 20-20-24: 0
DVIS: 25-25-26: 3 

    Alivia Dehoog (2) serves the ball against Davis on Tuesday. Dehoog made a hustle play to keep the ball in play against Davis.
  

    Caitlin Decubber (8) prepares for the Pirates next serve. Decubber was a presence defensively at the net and also finished with three kills on Tuesday.
  

    Lilliana Roylance (1) spikes the ball across the net against Davis on Tuesday. Roylance had five kills against Davis. Head Coach Krystal Trammell said Roylance has started to come into her own in the last few weeks.
  

    The Mavericks celebrate after scoring against Davis on Tuesday. Kardyn Martinez led the team with 12 kills.
  

    Kardyn Martinez (11) celebrates with her teammates after scoring off a serve against Davis on Tuesday. Head Coach Krystal Trammell is hopeful the Mavs will improve that aspect of their offense.