Edmonds-Woodway High School used a five-set victory over the visiting Oak Harbor Wildcats Thursday to move into a first-place tie at the half-way point of the girls Wesco 3A volleyball season. The Warriors lost the first and fourth set, but came back strong in the fifth, posting a 15-4 final set margin.
“At the end we were so energized and just wanted to win,” said the Warriors’ Amanda Paavola. “Our passion just came through.”
Paavola, who missed the last match with a concussion, would lead the Warriors in kills with 25, going 9 for 9 in the second set. “I’ve not seen it,” said Warrior coach Nicole Bordeaux of Paavola’s perfect outing in the set. “She was unstoppable. That’s the Amanda we know and see. It was really nice for everybody to see it.”
E-W took the third set convincingly 25-15 and had a chance to finish the match in four sets as they led 24-21 following a Maddie Judd block of Oak Harbor’s Claire Anderson. But Anderson would answer for the Wildcats, scoring the next three points to even the match at 24. Paavola had a winner for E-W, but the teams continued to trade points before Oak Harbor scored the last three points of the set to take it 30-28, setting up the pivotal fifth set.
The Warriors raced to a quick 8-2 lead in the decisive set, increasing the lead to 13-3 and then the final margin of 15-4 coming on an anti-climatic serve into the net by Oak Harbor to end the match. The Wildcats’ Claire Anderson, who had give the Warriors fits all night, was held scoreless in the final set. “She got a little timid because we started digging her a lot,” said Paavola. Added Bordeaux, “We served great in the last set. It helped eliminate her out of the offense.”
Kelly Gootee led E-W with 44 assists. Hanna Rehnfeldt led the way with 21 digs. In addition to Paavola’s 25 kills, Kym Lundt had 8 to go along with 9 digs and 4 assists.
The Warriors, 5-1 in Wesco, head to Everett on Tuesday before returning home to face Marysville-Getchell. “We are showing that we are one of the top teams in Wesco and I came away tonight feeling awesome, “ said Bordeaux. “I’m excited.”
E-W 21 25 25 28 15
O-H 25 19 15 30 4
— By Jeff Smarr
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