SHS can't hold off Lewiston, falls in five sets

SANDPOINT — After dropping the first set Saturday against Lewiston, Sandpoint volleyball fought back to win the next two.

With a 2-1 advantage, it looked like the Bulldogs were going to secure a comeback victory. But the Bengals had other plans and stormed past Sandpoint by winning the fourth and fifth sets.

Lewiston won 25-20, 23-25, 12-25, 25-22, 15-13.

"In general, the most disappointing night I've had this season with this team, it's frustrating," Sandpoint head coach Karen Alsager said. "We've been playing so well lately that I just assumed we'd continue to play well every time we stepped out on the court. Tonight, we went backwards instead of forward."

The Bulldogs captured two sets in the match and took the third rather convincingly, but Alsager felt her team never had control. She said there was a lack of communication on the court and her players energy level wasn't where it needed to be.

"I just don't know where my team was tonight," she said.

In the decisive fifth set, Lewiston quickly built a 2-8 lead. Sensing the match slipping away, Alsager called a timeout. The Bulldogs responded scoring seven straight points to take a 9-8 lead.

But the Bengals didn't let their comeback attempt go to waste as they went on a 7-4 run to close out the match.

"We earned the loss tonight," Alsager said.

Gabby Hicks led the team with 22 kills. Sam Koster had 18 digs and two aces, Emma Brown notched 15 digs and two aces and Bella Phillips tallied five blocks and two aces. Kaylee Banks had 28 assists and Kinzie Ward added two aces.

Sandpoint (3-10, 1-2 IEL) heads to Moscow at 7 p.m. Thursday looking to solidify the No. 2 seed in the district tournament.