Lady Raiders split matches

Lady Raider Volleyball picked up its third win a row Sept. 16 at home against Oroville.

“It was our first home game, the girls were pretty excited and a little nervous playing at home,” Head Coach Nate Piturachsatit said. “Once the nerves settled in, they took control. It was a fun game.”

The Lady Raiders won the match in four games, 25-23, 25-10, 22-25, 25-21.

Oroville is sitting at the bottom of the Central Washington 2B North with an 0-3 win-loss record in league.

Piturachsatit was pleased with the performance of the Lady Raiders against the Hornets. “We were able to run some set plays and move our offense a little faster,” he said. “It was a solid team effort from everyone.”

Hoping to extend their win streak to four, the Lady Raiders travelled on the Sept. 18 to Bridgeport to take on the Fillies.

The Fillies were on a two-match losing streak going into Thursday’s match, having lost to Brewster and Okanogan.

For the Lady Raiders the match with the Fillies showed why teamwork is important.

“This was the first game of the season where the girls had difficulty playing together and remembering their roles,” Coach Piturachsatit said, noting that the Fillies were able to dig themselves out of jams and the Lady Raiders had trouble responding to their tenacity.

Also a vital part of their game was off for the Lady Raiders.

“Our serving and receiving was off, and this is generally one of our strengths,” the coach said.

Bridgeport scored many points off bad service. The Lady Raiders lost to the Fillies in straight sets, three games to zero, 25-18, 25-10, 27-25.

Coach Piturachsatit praised Jocelyn Moore and Kayley Duclos.

“They are our constants right now,” he said, “the team can count on them to produce for us.”

When asked what needs to improve for the future, Piturachsatit stressed serving and defense and added, “We need to continue to improve our set plays to help give us an advantage offensively.”

Last night at Gailord Nelson Gym the Lady Raiders were scheduled to take on the Trojans of Manson. Tomorrow the LR team heads to Tonasket, where the varsity match starts at 7 p.m. The Tigers are 0-3 at this point with losses to Manson, Liberty Bell, and Brewster.

The Lady Raiders will host Brewster Sept. 30 at Gailord Nelson Gym, starting at 5:30 p.m. This will be their first match against the Bears since 2009. Brewster is currently tied with Okanogan atop of the Central Washington 2B North.

LR vs Oroville

25-23, 25-10, 22-25, 25-21

LR at Bridgeport

25-18, 25-10, 27-25