Columbia Basin found its rhythm one set too late Tuesday night, dropping a 25-20, 25-22, 28-30, 25-21 decision to Skagit Valley and slipping to 2-3 on the season.
The opening two sets told a tale of two teams for the Hawks. Columbia Basin hit just .103 in the first set and .067 in the second, with 19 attack errors against only 26 kills across both frames. Setter Yahairi Sanchez, by contrast, ran a clean floor game all night, piling up 48 assists against a single error.
Set three was where Columbia Basin looked like the hard-hitting team that had shown flashes. The Hawks hit .292, their best mark of the match, getting 18 kills on just four errors. Eva Biladeau led that surge and finished the night with a team-high 14 kills, adding 20 digs on the defensive end. Addisen Ford was every bit as involved, contributing 12 kills, six total blocks, and a match-best 20.0 points, while Adalei Lefebvre was the most efficient hitter on the floor, going 9-for-20 with just two errors for a .350 clip. That trio helped Columbia Basin erase an early deficit and outlast Skagit Valley in extra points, 30-28, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and sending the match to a fourth set.
But the finish that had carried them through set three didn't carry over. Columbia Basin opened the fourth down 0-2 on back-to-back attack errors, and while the Hawks briefly tied it at 8 and again at 13, Skagit Valley answered every push. A five-point Skagit run put the set out of reach at 21-15, and Columbia Basin's own attack numbers regressed to .070 for the frame as the errors that had disappeared in set three crept back in.
For the match, Columbia Basin actually out-hit Skagit Valley in total kills, 56 to 47, and out-blocked the visitors 9-5. But 32 attack errors and 12 service errors — against just seven aces — gave away just one too many. The defense held up its end, with Biladeau's 20 digs leading a unit that totaled 80 as a team.
Columbia Basin will look to rebound on Friday as they open up the Coach G Memorial tournament at home against #6 ranked Rogue at 11am.
