Wildcat volleyball sweeps cellar dwellers

SNOQULAMIE - The Mount Si Wildcats volleyball team had a lengthy meeting following last Wednesday's afternoon contest with the undefeated Issaquah Eagles. It was not a surprise, considering the extremes the team had last week: a huge win over Interlake (the last place team in Kingco 3A), and then a huge meltdown against the Eagles that left their postseason position endangered. While Mount Si has already clinched a spot in the Kingco Tournament, its favorable seeding is in jeopardy.

Last Monday, the Wildcats swept the Interlake Saints 25-9, 25-20, 25-21. In the contest, Ayana Hara made her mark again in what has been a stellar season for the exchange student from Japan. Hara broke a school record in passing by passing 88-percent perfect with a 2.7 for the match. A team record was also broken in that department with a 51-percent perfect rating and a 2.1 for the contest. Mount Si coach Bonnie Foote was happy.

"It was an overall team effort, and it was nice to get everyone playing time," she said in an e-mail.

Eagles dispose of 'Cats

Issaquah controlled the first two games against the Wildcats last Wednesday and then rallied in game three to come back and sweep over the Wildcats 25-12, 25-14 and 25-21.

"Today, we played well. Defensively, we're starting to pick up a lot of balls and it's allowing us just to transition a lot better, which is keeping our offense running smooth, so it was good stuff to see today," said a pleased Eagles coach Todd Parsons, who saw his team work with relative precision to take care of business and remain undefeated at 12-0 in conference.

One of the players putting on a clinic for Issaquah was junior Casi Schwisow, who was happy with her team's effort.

"I just felt like we came out strong as a team," Schwisow said.

Schwisow said the Eagles are well prepared to go far.

"I think we've been having really good practices and setting high goals for ourselves, so we just need to come out and deliver every night and meet all of our goals because we hope that will carry over into the postseason and take us where we want to be," said Schwisow. "State - all the way."

As for the Wildcats, junior Faith Hutcherson said that a change in attitude is needed in order for her team to succeed this week in its must-win matchups.

"We can't go out defeated or intimidated. We have to come out knowing that we have to play our game and play up to our level and not let them [opponents] determine how we're going to play," Hutcherson said.

Mount Si played Newport Monday and hosts Mercer Island Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. on "Senior Night." With a win over the Knights, the Wildcats (8-4 in league coming into this week's play) would clinch no worse than a third-place spot into the conference tournament. That would set up the showdown with the Islanders that could decide the second seed to the conference tourney, a first-round bye, and an automatic Sea-King District tournament bid.

Seniors scheduled to be honored on Senior Night include Erin Caldwell, Alicia Elmore, Amanda Frost and Molly Stout.

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