Lady Vikes’ Playoff Hopes Diminish in Tough Loss to Wenatchee Valley Knights

With a playoff spot on the line, the Lady Vikes of Big Bend Community College faced off against the Wenatchee Valley College Knights in a high-stakes match. This showdown would determine whether BBCC would remain in the hunt for the postseason or see their hopes dashed. Despite the energy of the home crowd, the Lady Vikes struggled to gain their footing, ultimately falling short in a 3-1 loss.

The first set saw BBCC falter as they couldn't find their offensive rhythm, allowing Wenatchee Valley to pull away with a commanding 25-14 victory. Unfortunately, set two was a similar story; while the Lady Vikes made a few adjustments, they couldn't quite overcome the Knights' momentum and dropped the set 25-18.

Facing elimination, the Lady Vikes showed resilience in the third set, finding their stride and making key plays that allowed them to secure a 25-18 win. Emma Lucas and Addison Herbek stepped up as they orchestrated the offense with a combined total of 33 assists. Meanwhile, Natalie Evers was relentless on the attack, racking up 11 kills, while Katie Downing added 7 kills with an impressive .208 hitting efficiency. The Lady Vikes displayed the determination and teamwork that had brought them this far, breathing new life into the match.

However, the comeback would be short-lived. In the fourth set, BBCC's offense stalled as the Knights capitalized on every opportunity, ultimately taking the set decisively with a 25-11 score. The loss dashed BBCC's playoff hopes, leaving the Lady Vikes reflecting on a season marked by moments of brilliance but shadowed by inconsistency. Head Coach Alexa Moser had this to say regarding the loss.

"Same story it seems like of being so up and down throughout a match. Volleyball is a game of momentum and our opponents are going to go on runs just like we will but unfortunately we've been seeing more of opponents stringing together runs and us not being able to reciprocate that. We matched Wenatchee's fast paced offense and would have great rallies but we struggled being on the winning end of those long plays. On our end, we just couldn't find a way to put a ball away and on their end we couldn't shut down their offense."

Moser also added.

"Unfortunately with this loss, it puts us out of a chance of playoffs completely. Tonight was a very emotional match, knowing what was on the line and it's frustrating that we couldn't find a way to get it done. On the other hand, playoffs might be out of the picture, but these girls have accomplished so much and made huge strides in building the foundation of this program that I'm excited to see it take off. There is still so much good from this season that they should hold their heads high and be proud of what they've accomplished."

BBCC prepares for their final two matches of the year as the travel to Walla Walla CC on Friday November 8th followed by hosting Treasure Valley CC on Saturday to wrap up the 2024 campaign. As always, keep up with the Vikings on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as through the NWACSports Network's livestream video platform, where available.