OTHELLO – The Moses Lake Mavericks volleyball team travelled to face the Othello Huskies on Tuesday evening, where the Mavs secured a 3-0 victory. 

“I think the first two sets we started off a little slow, but once we have our energy up and we all start having fun with each other, that’s when we really come together and we play as a team,” said Mavs player Madison Witwer. 

The first set between the Mavs and Huskies stayed close as each team traded points until the Mavericks pulled ahead at the end to win 25-22. In the second set, the Mavs pulled ahead early to earn a 25-15 victory. 

The final set of the night had the Mavs take a significant 22-12 lead over the Huskies. The Huskies players rallied for six points to bring themselves back in the game, but the Mavs quickly rebounded to end the game 25-18. 

Addison Burns from the Mavs said that she felt that the team made a lot of errors throughout the three sets, but their efforts in believing in each other and never giving up helped push through for a victory. 

“We have a really strong family bond with our team, so it’s just about finding our groove and connecting with each other,” said Mavs’ Lilliana Roylance. 

This game showed the Mavs some areas they need to work on as well, with the players saying they need to work on keeping their energy up, having a “next play” mentality and making sure they’re playing clean volleyball on their side of the net by moving point by point. 

“I think that we just need to take this week’s practice really serious,” said Mavs’ Caitlin Decubber. “We have some big games coming up next week, so we just have to come together as a team and practice.” 

Huskies coach Steve Parris said that the two teams had faced off in the week prior in a jamboree, so the mindset for the Huskies was to step up and improve upon their performance against a tough opponent. He said the team accomplished their goal and competed at a high level. 

“We showed at times what we’re capable of and if we can put that together and make certain that we give tough (hits) to the other side and that we keep our passing in shape, we’re going to do well this year,” said the coach. 

The Huskies had strong performances from Shaylee Freeman and Whitlee Hollenbeck. Parris said Freeman did a great job of patrolling the middle while Hollebeck was present anywhere she was needed on the court. 

“They have some great hitters on their team that don’t lose their confidence and (Freeman) stuck right with them and she put up some great blocks and got some touches off of those things,” he said. “(Hollenbeck) was everywhere today, she picked up ball after ball and just did a fantastic job back there for us.” 

He said this game will be used as a lesson for his players to show that they are capable of being one of the top teams and they have the skills to do it. This game was also their last chance to see where the Huskies are at before they move into league play in the Central Washington Athletic Conference. 

As the Huskies prepare for their next game, Parris said the team will still be figuring out where each of the players settle on the team and moving the players around. Multiple players have been making surprise plays, expanding what they’re capable of and consistently showing improvement with each passing day. 

The Mavs head coach Krystal Trammel said the biggest lesson for Moses Lake today was that the team needs to start of strong every single game.  

“We’ve been talking about that for a couple of years and so our biggest thing is how we ended that third set is how we have to step onto the court,” said Trammel. “You have to be ready to play from the get-go and just go all out every time.” 

As the Mavs prepare for their first league match, the coach said the team will put their focus on serving and receiving, as well as building up their energy to come out strong.  

Both teams will play their first league games at home tonight at 6:30, with the Mavs facing Sunnyside and the Huskies facing Prosser. 

BOX SCORE:  

MLHS: 25-25-25-x: 3
OTHL: 22-15-18-x: 0 

Othello Huskies 

Player, Number, Position, Grade 

Keilani Segura,1, OH/S, 10
Bella Garza, 7, OH/DS, 12
Whitlee Hollenbeck, 2, Lib, 12
Shaylee Freeman, 5, MB, 12
Addie Roylance, 22, OH/S, 11
Alizay Pruneda, 17, RS, 12
Chloe Purdy, 6, DS/S, 12
Evelyn Prows, 9, MB, 10
Jena DeLeon, 4, OH/S, 9
Meila Zuidema, 3, S, 10
Alexa Peterson, 15, RS, 11
Hazel Roylance, 16, OH
Abbie Douglas, 11, OH/MB, 12 

Moses Lake Mavericks 

Lilliana Roylance, 1, MH
Alivia Dehoog, 2, DS/L
Ava Garbe, 3, DS/L
Addison Burns, 4, RS/OH
Madison Witwer, 5, OH
Hannah Crozier, 6, RS/OH/MH
Bella Minor, 7, S
Caitlin Decubber, 8, OH
Allison Bond,9, S/RS
Hadley Whittall, 10, RS
Kardyn Martinez, 11, MH 

    Whitlee Hollenbeck from the Huskies jumps up to hit the ball back to the opposing Mavs. Huskies coach Steve Parris said that Hollenbeck had a strong performance on the court Tuesday and made her presense known.
  

    Mavs player Madison Witwer prepares to serve the ball during the first set against the Huskies on Tuesday. Witwer said that moving forward the team will benefit from playing with high energy and keeping their minds on what the next play will be.
  

    Huskies player Shaylee Freeman prepares to make a big hit toward the Mavs during Tuesday’s game. Huskies coach Steve Parris said Freeman had a great performance in the middle and kept up with her opponents through all three sets.
  

    Huskies player Shaylee Freeman prepares to make a big hit toward the Mavs during Tuesday’s game. Huskies coach Steve Parris said Freeman had a great performance in the middle and kept up with her opponents through all three sets.
  

    Allison Bond from the Mavs tips the ball back over the net against the Huskies during set number three. Mavs coach Krystal Trammel said she was impressed with Bond as the new setter and said there was a moment when Bond dropped to her knee and made a quick set to the middle which is something that is typically only seen at the collegiate level.