NK volleyball drops three, picks up intensity

Published 4:00 pm Wednesday, October 18, 2006

OLYMPIA — While the 2006 volleyball season is making its final surge toward the league, district and state playoffs, the North Kitsap Vikings (6-7 overall, 3-5 Narrows League) are making mental strides toward having the confidence of champions.

At this point in the year, there are few physical preparations that a team can make, while the mental skills of poise, attitude, desire, belief and strategy take the spotlight.  

“We know we can play with the Gig Harbors and the South Kitsaps if everybody is playing at the top of their game,” said North Kitsap head coach Tim French.

Thursday night, the third game of the Vikings’ match against the SK Wolves, was one of those times. The Wolves had come out strong and forced NK into near submission with 25-18 and 25-14 wins in the first two games. Then the Vikings bounced back and stole the third game 25-23.

“It seemed like everything was kind of clicking for us,” French said. “It almost seems like it just has to do with having the energy at the end of the match … maybe it’s more of a mental thing we have to get over, maybe we try too hard to force it to happen.”

The Wolves bounced back with a relatively quick 25-15 win in the fourth and final game to take the match. KC Fossum led the NK offensive with eight kills while Christina Rose added six kills and three blocks. Kailey Jakola worked hard on the defensive with 31 digs while Jessica Oullet added 21 digs and five kills.

Even so, the Vikings again saw firsthand how important finishing is to winning.

On Oct. 10, the Vikes traveled to Gig Harbor and came away with the same lesson in a 3-0 — 25-22, 25-16, 26-24 — loss. Despite the scores, French said he was proud in the way his team played for most of the evening.

“If we had won the first game, I feel the match would have turned out differently,” French said of NK’s match up with the Tides. “We have to learn how to finish the close games and cut down on unforced errors at crucial points.”

Looking to put that strategy into play Monday, the Vikings traveled to Olympia to face the No. 3 Bears (9-2, 6-2) and came away with another tough loss. After the Vikings grabbed the first game by a count of 25-22, the Bears fired off 25-7, 25-16 and 25-9 wins to take the match.

The Vikings have two games remaining as they travel to winless Lincoln (0-7, 3-8) tonight and will be back in Poulsbo Oct. 24 to host the No. 2 Central Kitsap Cougars (11-1, 7-1). A win in either contest would assure the Vikings a spot in the Narrows League playoffs — one step away from their season goal of making the district meet.

“I know they have it in them and I’m excited to see what they will bring,” French said, looking into the postseason.