OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (2-5) fell to the Selah Vikings (5-4) at home Tuesday evening. Despite starting the match with a win in the first set, the Huskies fell in the last three to give Selah the win. 

"We started the game really strong," said Huskies Head Coach Isabella Hollibaugh. "That was a great first set that we played as a team with our high energy and continuing to put the gas on the pedal. I was really impressed with our team and obviously, Selah woke up in the second and third set, but I was really proud of my girls for finishing that first set and executing it." 

The Huskies started out strong in the first set as they pulled ahead of the opposition. The two teams battled close, but Othello ultimately came out on top to start the evening with a 25-21 victory.

In the second set, Selah gained traction as they found openings against Othello. The Huskies remained competitive but fell 25-14 to tie the game at one set each. 

Going into the third set, the Huskies and the Vikings kept the score close early on. The Vikings found their groove midway through the set and built a lead that Othello couldn't cut into, giving Selah a 25-15 victory. 

Selah carried their momentum into the fourth set as they capitalized on errors, causing Othello to fall behind early on. Though the Huskies fought hard through the remainder, they were unable to close the gap and gave the Vikings a 25-12 victory. 

"We tried out a new lineup and rotations," said Hollibaugh. "I just love that they've been able to be flexible with me as we're trying to figure out what works best for our team." 

Though they didn't come out with a full victory, the Huskies' success in winning a close first set will help them strive for more in the future. 

"Recognizing that energy and how hard we played, with how much heart they played that first set and carrying that on to the rest of our games this season is going to be huge for them," said the coach. 

As the Huskies work through the midway point of the season, Hollibaugh said she has seen quite a few players step up into their roles. Each of the middles on the team has been playing smart and finding ways to put the ball away when they need to, which is something the coach is very proud of. 

One player in particular, Othello senior Addie Roylance who plays back row, has stepped up as a team leader this season, she said.  

"She has great energy and attitude and really has that passion for volleyball," said the coach. "The girls really look up to her there." 

Tuesday's game taught the Huskies the importance of having a strong start and the team will work on having and maintaining that in future games. Hollibaugh said communicating with one another on the court and cleaning up their errors will be the focus as they get ready for the next game. 

With a few weeks left until the start of postseason play, the coach said she is very excited to see how far the Huskies can still go. 

"They've been working really hard for me as a new coach," said Hollibaugh. "It's been a lot to ask them to try new things, new rotations and new positions. We've faced a lot of adversity with injuries and whatnot throughout this season so I've just been really impressed with how hard they've worked and how flexible they are and continuing to keep up that energy. I have really high expectations of them, so I keep pushing them harder and they reach those expectations giving me the opportunity to increase mine even more." 

The Huskies next game is on the road against Grandview Thursday at 6 p.m. 

BOX SCORE 

SELA: 21-25-25-25: 3 

OTHEL: 25-14-15-12: 1 

    Huskies junior Keilani Segura (1) sets up the ball for her teammates while senior Amber Freeman (7) keeps an eye on the ball.
  

    Othello junior Tekay Tran (14) dives for the ball with senior Addie Roylance watching the play to help respond for the next hit.
  

    Addie Roylance (5), a senior for the Huskies, hits the ball and senior Hazel Roylance (8) communicates to the team.
  

    Othello sophomore Jena DeLeon responds to a serve from Selah Tuesday evening.
  

    Huskies junior Julie Russell (4) prepares to hit the incoming serve with teammates Jena DeLeon (2) and Tekay Tran (14) keeping watch on the play.