Trojans Play #4 Skagit Tough

Everett, WA – Fresh off a 3-0 win over Olympic College, the Trojans returned to the Walt Price Center to take on the 4^th ranked Skagit Valley Cardinals, 3-0 in north region play and a 19-3 overall record. 

Everett came out with energy and held a 5-3 lead, but the Cardinals used a five-point run to seize control of the first set and held a four-point cushion for most of it.  Leading 23-17, SVC secured two more points to close it out.  Halle Wilkinson recorded 3 kills, while Annika Mason and Maya Gaudia each had two.

The Trojans got the first point in set two, one that would go back and forth with nine ties, and three lead changes.  The Cardinals led 14-10, before EvCC used a 6-1 run to climb back on top 19-17.  Skagit used a 5-1 run to take the lead back before ultimately prevailing 25-22.  Five different Trojans recorded a kill, led by Annika Mason who had five.

Skagit began the 3^rd set sloppy with four service errors but only fell behind by three.  They maintained composure and a five-point run saw the set tied at 9.  Everett gained some momentum back with more Skagit attack errors, and built a 21-18 lead on a kill by Annika Mason.  Five points later Maya Gaudia got the Trojans to set point, and an attack error later gave the Trojans the 25-22 set win. 

Refocused, the #4 Cardinals took the first three points of set four.  EvCC used a 6-2 run to climb back into the set with two kills from Morgan Armitage and two from Alli Hillyard.  The set was then tied at 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 before Skagit strung together a 5-1 run forcing EvCC to call a timeout, trailing 15-11.  Despite the timeout, Skagit continued their run and extended their lead to as much as ten before sealing the match with a 25-19 set win. 

Annika Mason tied a career high 11 kills and also had a rare assist from her middle blocker position.  Freshman Maya Gaudia had double digit kills for the sixth time this season recording ten, and Taylor Holland led in assists with 23 while also adding 16 digs.  Reece Nelson flew around the floor recording 23 digs, the 7^th time this season she's had more than 20.

The Trojans will play their next match on Wednesday, October 9^th on the road against Bellevue before returning home on Tuesday October 15^th to face Shoreline.