Wolves start fast, fade late in district tourney

What looked like the beginnings of a sure-fire win that would send them to the West Central District tournament quickly deteriorated into another lost opportunity for the South Kitsap volleyball team.

But there was also a glimpse of things to come.

The Wolves caught Capital off-guard in the first game of the opening round of the Narrows League Tournament at the SK gym on Saturday morning before dropping a four-game match that left the host team one game short of qualifying for the WCD.

Capital rebounded from a 13-25 first-game loss to end South’s season by winning the next three games, 25-20, 25-22 and 25-18.

“I think Capital underestimated us. They didn’t think we would come out like that,” second-year coach Jessica Anderson said. “The second game, they saw what we looked like and they adjusted to what we were giving them and they picked everything up.”

The Wolves, who ended the year at 10-5, fell into some old habits after jumping out to the quick start. As good as they looked in the first game, there were some obvious letdowns in the games that followed.

“Our intensity level went down in the second game,” senior hitter Joyce Vaiaga’e said. “Capital knew they had to pick it up, and they did. The first game, we were doing just fine. But the second game, that’s where we started going down a little bit. We’re always having that problem – digging ourselves a hole, and I hate that.”

After taking the first game in such dominant fashion, South let the second game slip away at the end. The Wolves then blew a 17-10 lead in the third game and led 12-7 in the fourth game before finally losing by seven points.

“Needless to say, we need to tune up our finishing game,” Anderson said. “We definitely had chances. They know how to play the game; they just don’t how to bring it sometimes.

“That mental game, I don’t know exactly how to coach that, not all the time,” Anderson said. “There are little pieces that you can do. There are little things that you can say, there are little games that you can do, but ultimately, that’s up to them.”

Junior hitter Erika Doremus kept South close throughout by leading the Wolves with 16 kills, while Vaiaga’e had 10 digs and Ashley Youngs recorded 15 assists.

But there were times when the team seemed unsure of itself and was prone to giving up points in bunches.

“It was that mental game. They didn’t get super, super down like they sometimes do,” Anderson said. “There are a couple of them that stay up at different times but they need to stay up during the whole game. Not just a little bit here and there.

“We have to work on them believing that they are winners,” Anderson said. “And understanding that they can be winners.”

Notes: Doremus was the only South Kitsap player to be named to the first team on the 2005 Narrows League Bridge Division All-League volleyball team released last week.

Doremus, a junior, was one of eight players chosen by the coaches of the eight league schools to be named to the first team.

Vaiaga’e was named to the second team, while junior setter Kylen Boddie was listed as an honorable mention.

2005 Narrows League Bridge Division

All-League volleyball team

Most Valuable Player

Alli Weisbarth, Senior Setter, Central Kitsap

First Team

Katy Potter, Senior Middle Blocker, Gig Harbor

Erika Doremus, Junior Outside Hitter, South Kitsap

Melissa Liechty, Junior Outside Hitter, Central Kitsap

Elisa Dike, Senior Middle Blocker, Shelton

Jenette North, Senior Outside Hitter, Gig Harbor

Angela DeWaalmalefyt, Senior Setter, Shelton

Shannon Sumner, Senior Outside Hitter, Central Kitsap

Second Team

KC Fossum, Junior Outside Hitter, North Kitsap

Colby Thatcher, Senior Middle Blocker, Bremerton

Kearney Bangs, Senior Setter, North Kitsap

Theresia Dever, Sophomore Libero, Central Kitsap

Rebecca Fister, Senior Setter, Gig Harbor

Meredith McCarty, Senior Middle Blocker, Shelton

Joyce Vaiaga'e, Senior Outside Hitter, South Kitsap

Honorable Mention

Dani Barrett, Senior Outside Hitter, Port Angeles

Brianne Gregory, Junior Middle Blocker, Bremerton

Lindsey Webel, Junior Outside Hitter, Olympic

Lauren Romero, Junior Libero, North Kitsap

Kylen Boddie, Junior Setter, South Kitsap

Casie Knott, Junior, Olympic

Juli Bolender, Senior Outside Hitter, Shelton

Coach of the Year

Gordy Bushaw, Central Kitsap

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