Spartans fall to Seattle Prep in hard-fought match

Published 8:49 pm Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Still yet to find a true rotation because of missing players, the Spartans gave Seattle Prep all it could handle Wednesday night before eventually falling 3-1.

Head coach Julie Miller said the team has spent the early part of the season dealing with injuries to key players. The Spartans were without their middle blocker Amy Fowler, who was out sick.

“We’re still trying to get our full team out there working together,” she said.

Fowler would have made a huge difference against a tall Seattle Prep team, Miller said.

Bainbridge has a few days off to heal up before taking on Bishop Blanchet at home Monday.

Bishop Blanchet is 5-0 so far this season. In five matches the Braves have only lost one game, that came in a match Monday against Seattle Prep.

Bainbridge’s best chance to take down the undefeated Braves is to keep up the positive energy and competitive grit shown against Seattle Prep.

It was clear even before the match began that Bainbridge wanted a win. Players dove for balls in warm ups and ran hard the whole time.

The Spartans were off to a quick start in the first game, taking a 3-1 and later a 9-5 lead before Seattle Prep came back to tie it at 10-10.

Bainbridge spent the majority of the game playing defense, but the players responded well, making several digs that wowed the crowd.

“We played scrappy on defense,” said senior Joanna Shea. “We got a lot of balls up they didn’t expect us to get.”

As the first game wore on, Bainbridge fell behind and made some mistakes. But they never lost the positive energy. A 25-15 loss in the game made it seem as though it would be a long night for Spartan fans. But the players’ enthusiasm and the small but raucous crowd helped Bainbridge win the second game.

This time Bainbridge started out slowly. After winning the first point, the team fell behind. But from the point when the score was 4-4, no team led by more than four points in the game. With the score 9-7 in favor of Seattle Prep, Bainbridge rolled up six straight points, led partially by the serving exploits of Nina Mutty.

Just as it looked like Seattle Prep was going to fold in the second game, the team came back to tie it at 16-16.

Later, at a score of 21-21, a Bainbridge serve was called out, to the disbelief of the Bainbridge crowd. But the Spartans rallied, putting together a solid defensive stand and closing down the game 25-23.

The third game was even closer than the second. From the point of 17-17 on, neither team built much of lead. Bainbridge had the intensity of a state championship team, sensing the momentum.

“We have this one,” Shea said to the team during a timeout. “This is our game.”

With the score tied at 21, Bainbridge made two critical service errors. Seattle Prep took advantage and locked down the third game 25-23.

Determined not to let the close game sink them, the Spartans kept a light attitude in between games. But Seattle Prep upped its aggressiveness and won the final game 25-17.

Before the season began, the players and coaches harped on finishing games and matches. The Spartans might have been able to take a 2-1 lead had it not been for a couple service errors, Shea said.

Miller said the team has been working on finishing well by practicing drills that won’t end until each player does it right. But, despite a heart breaking loss in the third game, Bainbridge maintained its jovial attitude, a trait Miller really appreciates about the team.

“They’re supposed to have fun while they are competing,” Miller said. “That’s what sports are supposed to be about.”