The Lakeland Hawks(12-5-1, 6-2) defeated the Sandpoint Bulldogs(4-10, 1-4) in four sets, 25-20, 25-18, 23-25, 25-11 on Oct. 10 in Sandpoint.
The Hawks came ready to play from the start. Junior Ziya Munyer led the team with 18 kills, along with eight blocks. Outside hitter Landree Simon had 14 kills and 22 digs. Setter Ella Terzulli had a dominant 26 assists, and fellow setter Olivia Zazuetta had 22 assists and three aces. Lakeland’s libero, Addyson Hocking, had 26 digs, leading both teams.
“Everyone played really well, even though we had some silly errors at the beginning, but as the game went on, we definitely picked up the pace,” Simon said.
This matchup was a big one for the Hawks because they have now clinched the top seed and home-court advantage in the upcoming district tournament.
“The game went well. We came out strong and showed Sandpoint what kind of team we are. We were definitely in control of the game, but going into districts, we just need to stay focused,” Munyer said.
The winner between the Sandpoint Bulldogs and the Moscow Bears will determine who travels to Rathdrum to play the Hawks on Oct. 19.
The Hawks started off hot as usual, leading the Bulldogs early 2-0. The Bulldogs came out after losing the first two and took the third. The Hawks answered and took the Bulldog’s momentum away in the fourth and final set.
“We knew we should not have lost the third set, so we came out with fire to show how we actually play,” Lexi Levesque said.
Leading up to the fourth set, it was very apparent that the girls were playing with way more intensity and energy. After all, this was the last league game of the regular season.
“We got too relaxed, lost our focus, and Sandpoint took advantage of our lack of focus. In the fourth set, we completely reset and stepped up to finish the job we needed to get done,” assistant coach Jen Weil said.
Practices leading up to league matchups can be fun but also challenging. The Hawks knew what they needed to do to take down their league opponent.
“The practices leading up to the big game were intense. We focused on drills to target their weaknesses and did lots of pressure drills to prepare ourselves. The goal was to be ready and not let the pressure get to us during the actual game,” Lila Kiefer said.
The Hawks are now ranked 12th in the state of Idaho for all teams. They are ranked third in the state of Idaho for the 4A division.
The Hawks will have time to prepare for their opponent and work on what they need to get done to win the district title.
The Hawk’s next game will be on Oct. 19 at the Hawks Nest. They will be hosting either the Bulldogs or the Bears(4-11, 0-5). This district title game will determine who will be the number one seed in 4A from the North.
