LAKEWOOD — Brittany Parmentier takes pride in getting a block.
In a 3-2 (23-25, 25-22, 25-16, 22-25, 15-12), record-setting victory over Cedarcrest Oct. 5, Parmentier’s five blocks came just two away from tying the school’s best mark.
“I just like smashing it back into their faces and saying, ‘Ha! You can’t get it by me,’” said the Lakewood junior.
Meanwhile Allie Hernandez set a school record with 28 digs and teammate Hayley Liebel tied her own school record with 22.
The Red Wolves had difficulty near the end of the match getting through the Lakewood frontline, but they caught the Cougars napping with a 25-23 win in the first game.
“Our passing was not there,” said Cougars coach Tasha Kryger. “We were a step behind on almost everything.”
The Red Wolves actually surprised the Cougars early on, with more on-point and harder hitting than they’d seen in a Lakewood win earlier this season.
“We were expecting them to throw a little more junk at us but (Jessica Knoth) and (Hannah Smythe) did a good job of attacking us, but that’s what we like — when teams attack,” she said.
After Game 1, however, the Cougars refocused and took a 12-6 lead early on, and didn’t let up.
“We were really frustrated,” said Parmentier who also had 14 kills. “We knew we could play better.”
The Cougars then had it all working in the third game. Behind hitters Liebel, Megan Eby and Parmentier, the Cougars dominated the net and served efficiently with six aces to win 25-16.
Serving became more of a problem in the fourth game, as the Cougars had trouble with placement, resulting in a 25-22 loss.
In the deciding frame, however, the Cougars fixed their mistakes and got separation with the help of Kaylee Diggs, who placed a few tips through the middle of the Cedarcrest defense and served three straight points to help build a 10-6 lead.
“Kaylee is such a great player for us,” said Kryger. “I just love it when other teams hit it at her.”
As the Cougars began the second half of the season, they built a 6-2 Cascade Conference record and stand in third place behind undefeated King’s and Archbishop Murphy.
Hernandez broke Liliya Kibitsaga’s record for digs, which was 26 and set back in 2008. Samantha Adams recorded 33 assists.
The Cougars’ next match is at Granite Falls Oct. 14.
