For the first time under fifth-year head coach Matt Monnastes, the Timberline volleyball team is off to a 6-0 start.
Timberline swept Lincoln 25-13, 25-15, 25-20, in Tacoma Wednesday night, improving to 18-1 in sets this season. The Blazers’ only set loss was the first set against Prairie, and they’ve won 12 in a row since.
Despite the sweep, Monnastes said the final scores don’t necessarily tell the whole story and gave credit to Lincoln’s play style.
“Lincoln kept each set competitive early and challenged us with their scrappy defense,” he said. “They dug a lot of balls that we attacked well and forced us to stay patient before we were able to create separation midway through each set.”
Lincoln also utilized higher sets to adjust Timberline’s strong blocking, but Lilly Grant was still effective with five blocks up front. Kinley Smith stood out once again with 16 kills and a staggering seven aces, while Leia Dela Cruz logged a double-double with 24 assists and 11 digs. Jovie Lind provided a boost on defense with 19 digs.
“At this point in the season, we’re continuing to work on expanding our offense and becoming less predictable,” Monnastes said. “As teams get more film on us, we have to vary what we’re doing and find different ways to score. We’re continuing to see more players contribute in different ways, which is important as we work on adding more dimensions to our game.”
Timberline (6-0, 5-0 Puget Sound League) will host Mount Tahoma (0-4, 0-4 PSL) Tuesday, Sept. 29 and Capital (3-3, 2-3 PSL) Wednesday, Sept. 30. Then, the Blazers will travel to Phoenix, Arizona, next week to compete in the Nike Tournament of Champions.
