Carson volleyball battles but falls to Reno

Reno High volleyball showed its height and its talent Tuesday as the Huskies bested Carson in straight sets, 25-23, 25-20, 25-17.

Despite the straight-sets finish, the match wasn’t lopsided by any means.

Each set remained competitive throughout, but all three times the Huskies, now 11-3 overall this season, were able to piece together a run in the late stages of each frame.

“It doesn’t feel like I got a loss tonight. We played well, but it wasn’t quite disciplined in the game plan I wanted,” said Carson head coach Robert Maw. “A couple points here or there and it’s a different ballgame.”

The opening set went back and forth as the Senators squeaked out to a 10-8 lead before Reno won six of the next seven points to take a 14-11 edge.

Camryn Quilling pounded a ball off a Husky blocker to end the run and Grace Turner added an ace as both teams traded points until it was 19-all.

Reno senior outside hitter and captain Abbey Leff ended the tie with two kills and a ball pelted through two Senator blockers to move the Huskies in front 22-19.

Carson fought off two set points, but Reno’s Averi Hardiman closed the first set with a kill.

The second set started just like the first as Carson found a way to jump out to an early lead.

After the Senators picked up a kill on the opening point of the set, Carson’s Emily Bell used a kill of her own to push the Senators in front 3-1.

Carson kept its slim lead before Reno rallied off five points in a row to move ahead, 7-5.

A couple of Reno attacking errors allowed the Senators to tie the second set at 15-all, but Reno pulled away again in the sets final points.

Reno finished off the set with a Katelyn Garnett kill to take a 2-0 lead.

“I think our defense could have been a little better. I don’t think our middles were hitting as hard as I wanted them too tonight and I don’t know why,” said Maw.

The Huskies maintained control of the third set as Carson’s only lead was came early on at 2-1 after an attacking error from the Huskies.

Carson’s back row had a number of impressive digs, including several from libero Camille Kordonoway and Quilling, but on several occasions as the Senators tried to get the ball back over the net the Huskies front line returned it to Carson’s side of the floor.

The Senators have some height on their front row, but Maw knew his right side was at a disadvantage when it came to length.

He added he was hoping for his middle blockers to be more active to try and take away Reno’s attacking opportunities.

“Our game plan to be successful was to take out the two outside hitters,” said Maw. “We needed to set up the double block early and we were too in the trenches of our habits of sitting in the middle as the middle blocker.”

Leff, one of Reno’s outside hitters led the Huskies in kills with 12.

UP NEXT: Carson (9-8) will open up league play Thursday as it heads to Reno to take on Galena (2-11).