The Toledo volleyball team found itself down two sets at home against Rainier on Tuesday, but the Riverhawks battled all the way back to top the Mountaineers in five 22-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-18, 15-6.
“This was a huge bounce back from the first time we played Rainier,” Toledo coach Whitney Nailon said, referring to Toledo’s 3-0 loss to Rainier in a non-league meeting in late September. “I’m proud of the resilience and our swing players for stepping up tonight.”
Ellie Fallon led the way offensively with 27 kills on a .431 kill efficiency mark, and she also added 15 digs, two aces, and a 2.7 passer rating on serve receive.
Nailon credited Fallon for “being coachable” and also utilizing the block as a hitter, saying that she has “grown a lot in her offensive game” this fall.
Lynda Luna Ortiz added 16 assists and an ace, and Kinsley Buswell finished with four kills and a dig.
“I’m so proud of Lynda and Kinsley for battling so hard for our program,” Nailon said. “It feels good to walk away with the win knowing they contributed.”
Taysia Miller finished with 11 kills, five blocks, four digs, and four aces, and Sidney Kruger dished out 28 assists.
On the other side, it was a disappointing finish to the night for the Mountaineers. Rainier coach Carrie Ooms said that her group didn’t play with enough energy throughout the match, something that contributed to the decline in play after the second set.
Allyson Ooms led the Mountaineers with 24 digs, 19 kills, and six aces, while Lexi Beckman added 13 kills, five blocks, and two aces.
Ellie Pringle collected 15 digs and eight digs, and Courtney Eckroth ended the night with 42 assists, 10 digs, and two aces.
Rainier (9-2, 0-1 C2BL) had won seven games in a row coming into Tuesday, and the Mountaineers will look to start a new winning streak on Thursday at home against Mossyrock.
Toledo (8-2, 1-0 C2BL) will be back in action on Monday at home against Naselle.
