Titans Win First Match Of The Season

Tacoma swept Wenatchee Valley 3-0 in a neutral-site match at Bellevue College in the opening weekend of Volleyball season, with set scores of 26-23, 25-14, and 25-19. Tacoma's .700 hitting percentage in the first set highlighted their strong start.

The first set saw Tacoma gain an early advantage with a series of impressive plays, notably a service ace by Haylee Taveres-Gernler at the start. Rasheeda Gordon and Emilia Linden were instrumental in maintaining Tacoma's momentum, each contributing multiple kills, while Kylee Harris facilitated the offense with several assists. A crucial turning point came when Kelli English served four consecutive aces, propelling Tacoma to a 26-23 victory.

The second set kicked off with Tacoma gaining an early advantage, highlighted by Taveres's service ace to start the scoring. Linden led a strong service game, contributing four aces, including two consecutive that extended Tacoma's lead to 22-13. Harris also played a crucial role, with a service ace and a kill, helping Tacoma maintain momentum. Tacoma's strategic plays and consistent pressure resulted in a commanding 25-14 victory.

The third set started with Tacoma quickly establishing dominance, with Leilah Lemalu and English leading the charge. Tacoma ran out to a 5-1 lead early, highlighted by a block from Gordon and Mykah Curtis, and continued to extend their advantage to 9-3 with consistent kills from Lemalu. At the 17-7 mark, Tacoma continued their strong performance with contributions from Taveres and Linden, who both delivered crucial kills. Tacoma maintained their lead, ultimately finishing with a 25-19 victory, thanks to Taveres's service ace and an attack error from Ivana.

Linden was a standout for Tacoma, registering 16 kills on 20 attempts for an impressive .750 hitting percentage. She also contributed five service aces and a total of 22 points. English led the team in service aces with five while adding 11 assists. Taveres also made a significant impact from the service line, notching four aces. Gordon was efficient in her attack, achieving a .750 hitting percentage with seven kills and two total blocks.

Marley led Wenatchee with a standout performance, recording 11 kills on 16 attempts, resulting in a .562 hitting percentage, and contributed 14.5 total points. Ivana was another key player, delivering eight kills and recording a .462 hitting percentage, along with seven assists. Kayliana made a significant impact with four total blocks and six points, adding two kills and one service ace to her performance. Taylor also played an important role with six assists and three service aces over three sets.

Go Titans!