Tuesday, October 28, was an excruciating learning experience for the homestanding Evergreen Lutheran volleyball team.

Facing a potent Bear Creek of Redmond team, the Eagles alternated power surges in back-and-forth game exchanges of games before powering down in a 3-2 loss to the Grizzlies. Evergreen Lutheran completed a fine regular season with a 10-2 record as the SeaTac 2B League South Division No. 1 seed. In overall competition, EL elevated itself to 11-2 while compiling an 18-3 mark when tournaments are included. The Eagles faced Northern Division No. 1 seed Rainier Christian on Saturday at the Chief Leschi Schools in Puyallup after press time for the No. 1 League seed to the Tri-District tournament. Tri-District will be held in Edmonds on the weekend of November 7-8.

Seniors Emily Elhard, Stephanie Hall, Laura Miller and Katherine Tacke closed out their home careers, but will be anxious to impress at the league playoffs.

“This was a good match,” observed Evergreen Lutheran head coach Chris Poetter. “We had too many unforced errors, especially in the first game and the last game. Our serving let us down at the end while we didn’t finish the chances we had. Bear Creek is a good team. It came down to a few points here and there when somebody needed to make a play. We wanted the competition.”

Bear Creek and Rainier Christian finished with identical 11-2 records, but the Mustangs took the No. 1 seed in the tough North by virtue of a tie-breaking formula.

In riveting, although unartistic, action, the squads continually countered each other with back-and-forth exchanges with neither team breaking away to more than three-point leads. It featured the all around play and tough back line defense of the Eagles versus the powerful strikes of the Grizzly hitters.

Tied at 21-21, Evergreen Lutheran served into the net. Katie Wolfram slammed a cross-court kill from the left side to send Bear Creek ahead, 23-21. Katherine Tacke’s slice serve was mishandled to cap a 3-1 Eagle run as the score moved to 24-24 before an EL serve into the net and Wolfram’s running spike sealed the game, 26-24, for Bear Creek.

Excellent communication and passing vaulted the Eagles from a 10-10 tie to an 18-11 advantage in the second game. The lead grew to 21-12 largely in part to the digs from the Eagle back line. The consistency was maintained in the final 25-16 score for Evergreen Lutheran.

Leading only 9-8 in the third game, the Grizzlies rode away to a healthy 15-8 dominance based on big serves and power hits. Drawing on its own power sources, Evergreen Lutheran countered with its own alternating current of energy to switch on a 9-0 scoring surge for a 17-15 lead. Both teams battled strongly with little to choose between them. Deep serving with the middle blocks of Allison Stump brought Bear Creek back to a 21-17 lead. Holding on for dear life, the Grizzlies prevailed, 25-22.

Under the pressure of game No. 4, the Eagles used tactics that simulated a tennis strategy of serve and volley. Evergreen Lutheran’s Erika Herman’s serve set up weak returns for six-footer Melanie Laete and the rest of the front line to pound for points as the Eagles established an early 9-3 dominance. Erica Hansen’s low, dipping serves expanded a 13-8 EL margin to 19-8. Hansen served two consecutive sideline aces to complete the 6-0 run. Spot serving and more kills brought Bear Creek within 19-14 before a 3-0 Eagle run ignited a 25-17 win.

“It was a wonderful match,” declared Emily Elhard. “Our team has grown.Tonight, we had more misses than usual and the match turned on key serves. while we didn’t finish. We’ve become more together on the court. We welcomed the competiton.”

A drop off in Evergreen Lutheran serving efficiency led to Bear Creek leads of 9-4 and 12-7. Despite the serving woes, the Eagles closed within 14-12 before Bear Creek took a long rally for a 15-12 victory.

Elhard earned 11 kills while Eagle teammate Caty Poetter dished up 18 assists. Erica Hansen pivoted for seven digs. Laura Miller served five aces.

Despite the loss, junior Caty Poetter was able to look back at a good season and also view the potential for future success.

“We act as a team and get along,” she said. “We are all friends in everything. We have lots of experience and have played together as a group since fifth grade. Bear Creek is tough because it’s consistent and has good forward hitters. We missed key points at the end and couldn’t put balls away because we hit timidly.”

Other than a period of two years, coach Poetter has been with the girls since the fifth grade and is not surprised by the success..

“When they were in eighth grade we thought that they could be a really good team if they stayed togther,” offered Poetter.

During the last 10 years, Evergreen Lutheran has been to state five times.