KINGSTON — Senior captain Rachel Bishop was on fire and target, which meant stellar news for the Kingston Buccaneer volleyball team.

The Bucs were down two sets to one, and the fourth set did not start off in their favor.

The fourth set of the Buccaneers’ home volleyball match against the Port Angeles Rough Riders began with the Bucs behind 5-0.

Kingston had to rebound and win the set or the Rough Riders were guaranteed the victory in four.

Within 20 serves the Bucs equalized the score, 10-10. During the next four serves, the teams volleyed between leads and ties.

And then Bishop approached the net seeping with determination.

With power and accuracy she slammed the ball from the far left side to PA’s right side. It hit PA’s side with a solidifying thud.

The kill was good, putting the momentum and score in Kingston’s favor, 13-12.

This play cemented Kingston’s pending victory, as the Rough Riders didn’t lead again until the first two serves of set five. Before the game turning kill, Bishop had two key tip-overs to tie the game.

“She (Bishop) had those three key plays to tie and get us ahead,” said head coach Lacey Menne. “She’s our biggest hit, when she’s on the whole team feels it. It’s very important she’s on.”

Bishop had eight kills and 22 digs for the night.

The Bucs won the match in five, 25-12 PA, 25-19 Kingston, 25-13 PA, 25-16, and 15-9 Kingston.

The Bucs opened set one on the defensive. They weren’t setting up their own plays and chasing the ball around.

Set two saw a more controlled Buccaneer team, but by the third set the cool and collected Bucs seemed to be have been only a phantom appearance.

The Bucs trailed the entire third set, and Menne said she was getting a little nervous. She knew if the Bucs playe

d the fourth set in the same fashion as the third they wouldn’t have won.

A little forceful coaxing from the coaches spurred on the victory.

“I told them we’re playing five sets and that’s what we’re going to do,” Menne said. “It took me telling them to pull it together and to play at a higher level and smarter and they finally got it.”

It took an entire team effort to finish off the Rough Riders. Several times throughout the final two sets senior libero Rachel Daniels got low for the dig. On some of Daniels defensive saves it seemed certain PA would get the point, but an aggressive Daniels would stretch long or rush for the return.

At one point Daniels and Rough Rider Abby Schmid volleyed back and forth, Daniels constantly hitting digs over the net until eventually Schmid hit the ball long. Daniels had 21 key digs during the game.

And then there was Kyla Miedema’s and Katy Mitchell’s efforts at the net.

Individually they were ready and waiting to smack down a Port Angeles kill attempt and keep the momentum in favor of the Bucs.

“I’m so proud with them. They should feel really proud of themselves too,” Menne said of her team. “They’ve been working so hard and it’s finally starting to show up in games.”

Last year the Bucs only won one match and this year they’ve already won four. But to make Olympic League playoffs it’s crunch time for Kingston.

They have four more games — Port Townsend, North Mason, Sequim and Klahowya — and they must win three of the four to advance to postseason. North Mason is undefeated and Menne forecasts North Mason will stay that way.

On Thursday the Bucs hosted Port Townsend and lost in three.

On Tuesday the Bucs host North Mason, match starts at 6:15 p.m.