The Lakewood girls volleyball team showed off its offensive firepower Tuesday night in blanking visiting Granite Falls 3-0.
With the win, Lakewood advances in the playoffs to face Lynden there Thursday. Lynden finished fifth in the Northwest 2A Conference with a 9-4 record, with Lakewood a game behind at 8-5.
Lakewood was firing on all cylinders against the Tigers. Led by seniors Paige Shimkus, who is 5-foot-10; 5-8 Sidney Goodall; 5-7 Jelly Perry; and 5-7 junior Tehanna Goodall the Cougars powerful front line dominated with their spikes at the net. Time after time setter junior Kimmy Epperson would put the ball where it needed to be for her teammates to put it away.
Consistent serving helped the home team get off to a 16-5 lead in the first game. Lefty Sidney Goodall perfectly placed a cross-court spike to an open area to put Lakewood up 21-8. Granite Falls got some serves in, Lakewood started playing tentatively and missed some spikes and had some unforced errors, and the Tigers built up 18 points. But the Cougars hung on to win.
After trailing early in the second set, Lakewood left no doubt it was the better team after three powerful spikes and a cross-court dink by Perry; a block, an ace and three booming spikes by Sidney Goodall; Tehanna Goodall’s serving; and an emphatic slam dunk spike by Shimkus.
In a 3A game earlier that day at Stanwood, Arlington was swept by Squalicum 3-0.
The Storm certainly showed its experience advantage, with seven seniors and seven juniors. The Eagles play with five freshman, five sophomores, two juniors and two seniors.
As a result of the loss, Arlington will play at 5 p.m. Thursday at Stanwood in a loser-out playoff game.
The Eagles played defensively the entire match against the powerful Storm. The Eagles couldn’t get their offense going as a result. Even when Arlington could get a spike, Squalicum often would get blocks that were covered nicely by its back row, something the Eagles could not duplicate.
Reese Talbot stood out serving and Arianna Bilby at the net for the Eagles.
