CHS volleyball still at No. 1

Cheney volleyball remains the top dog in the Great Northern League after a mixed week of matches.

The volleyball team split its two matches last week, winning and losing one. Despite that, Cheney remains on top of the GNL standings, at 5-1 in league play and 6-2 overall.

Against Pullman last Tuesday night, Cheney fell behind early and, although the team made a spirited attempt to come back, was unable to overcome in the end. Pullman took all three sets in the match.

“That was a tough road trip,” head coach Brianne Lowe said.

After a rough 15-25 first set, the team came a little closer.

“We can’t let ourselves get into that situation,” Lowe said of being down by double-digit points.

Although senior Ashley Seiler had 13 kills and others had good performances, too many costly errors dug the Blackhawks into a tough hole.

“It wasn’t a very good offensive night for us,” Lowe said. “Our hitting percentage was low for the night.”

Two nights later against Deer Park, however, the story was a bit different. The Blackhawks won two close sets 25-23 and 25-22, before breaking it open in the third set by winning 25-15.

“They’re either really clicking or off a bit,” Lowe said of Deer Park. “We knew we’d have to buckle down a bit.”

She credited their opponents for lowering the number of kills Seiler usually produces, which was down to 16. But, overall, the team followed its game plan better than it did against Pullman.

Sitting on top of the GNL standings halfway through the season is any coach’s dream, and Lowe is no different.

“That’s where I hoped to be,” she said, but cautioned that their league can produce some surprises along the way.

The team visited Colville Tuesday, Oct. 8 to begin the second-half of their season. Cheney defeated Colville earlier in the season 3-0.

Overall, Lowe is proud of this year’s volleyball team, citing the adjustments made by players throughout different matches and the growth that’s already taken place.

“I’m really pleased with how the team has done in the first round,” she said.

James Eik can be reached at james@cheneyfreepress.com.