Service Errors Plague Cardinals

WALLA WALLA - Waitsburg-Prescott failed by the narrowest possible margin to DeSales on Senior Night for the Irish. WP lost the 5-set heart­breaker last Tuesday, 16- 25, 25-12, 22-25, 25-20, 13-15.

The Lady Cards over­came the Irish in an error- plagued set one by nine points. WP broke open a 10-9 lead with a 10-3 run built without the aid of a single ace or kill by either side. The Cards closed the set out with an ace however, when Krystal Harris' hard serve tripped the net, and fell to an empty space on the hardwood.

Set two was nearly the opposite. DeSales took the set over after 4-4, out­scoring the Cards, 21-8, down the stretch. In both sets one and two, WP ser­vice game broke down. The Cardinals committed 12 service errors in the two sets, including six on first serves.

WP bounced back with a stronger performance in set three, but came up just short again. Tied 17-all, the Irish bolted to a 22- 17 advantage thanks to two Hannah Leahy aces, an Ashton Montgomery kill, and a WP net viola­tion. WP closed the gap with Adriana Benito and Jaidyn Brown kills. At 23- 21, WP reclaimed serve only to give up two service errors on its next two attempts-the final one ending the set, 25-22.

WP took the fourth set with an outstanding, 9-2, run to claim a 23-16. DeSales fought back to 23-20, but consecutive kills by WP's Rhiannon Chapman and Samantha Fedderson ended the set, 25-20.

The final set see- sawed back-and-forth with neither team claim­ing more than a three- point lead. At 8-5 Cards, the Irish reeled off four points all on kills and aces. WP regained the lead at 11-9, but another 4-0 run by the Irish put them two points from victory at 13-11.

WP closed it to 13-12 on a DeSales serving miscue, but a Leahy kill on the next point brought DeSales to match point. WP fended off one thanks to a Montgomery hitting error, but Montgomery next spike found the floor in front of a diving Chap­man ending the match, 15-13, Irish.

"At times we played really well, and at times we didn't move our feet," WP coach Angie Potts said. "Our passing wasn't great. If we're not going to pass the ball where it needs to be we can't set up the offense."

Krystal Harris led the Cardinals in almost ev­ery statistical category. Harris finished tops in kills with 16, assists with 11, aces with five, and blocks with two. She also had the second highest number of digs with 14.

"Krystal's played re­ally well and been consis­tent all year," said Potts. "She can play any posi­tion equally well even if there are some positions she'd rather play than others."

Fedderson finished with 14 kills and 18 digs. Jaidyn Brown had 10 as­sists. Chapman finished with four aces.