Lady T-cats prepare for Homecoming match against Touchet

The LaCrosse-Washtucna/Kahlotus Lady Tigercats are preparing for Homecoming week with a match against Colton, followed by the Homecoming match against Touchet.

The LWK team played two matches last week, matching up first with Garfield-Palouse on Oct. 6, before hosting Oakesdale on Oct. 8.

The Lady Tigercats started the week with a tough loss to Gar-Pal, with scores of 14-25, 16-25, 21-25. Head Coach Sandy Martin said the team did not have a good match and struggled to keep their intensity throughout the game.

The Lady Tigercats had a consistent passing game, but Martin said the team struggled from the serving stripe. The missed serves attributed for multiple points for the Gar-Pal team, and made it difficult for the Lady Tigercats to remain competitive.

Martin said Gar-Pal improved since the last time the two teams met, and while the LWK team had as well, the team did not show it. With having an off night, Martin said Gar-Pal earned the win.

Nicole Harder led the team with three aces and 16 assists.

Jessica Guske had seven digs and Jazzmyn Gordon hit seven kills. Britte Harder remained strong at the net and had two blocks.

The Lady Tigercats bounced back during the second match of the week against Oakesdale. The team came out strong during the home match, but lost after four sets: 23-25, 26-24, 23-25, 23-25.

“This match was a total opposite of the GP match. The girls played awesome,” Martin said.

Everyone stepped up their game. We had a few unforced errors, but overall, I am very proud of how the girls showed enthusiasm and teamwork.”

The back-and-forth match between the two teams proved the competitors were evenly matched.

While the Lady Tigercats had a successful passing game and more consistent serving, they still struggled to eliminate unforced errors, eventually leading to Oakesdale’s victory.

The Lady Tigercats had multiple athletes step up as leaders and help the team remain competitive.

“Jessica (Guske) had a great game. She hit her spots on serving, had really good passing and read the hitters to get some good digs,” Martin said.

“My two middles also had one of their best matches. They combined to have 34 kills and seven stuffs. Britte also passed well and led the team in stuffs.”

Guske continued to be a strong passer for the team, racking up 17 digs during the Oakesdale match. She also had five aces.

Nicole Harder had 40 assists during the match, and Britte Harder had five blocks. Gordon had an extremely successful night at the net with 21 kills.

As the season progresses, Martin said the team is continuing to work on fundamentals and improving basic skills. The team spends the majority of their practice time working on serving and receiving.

While the team is constantly improving by working together and focusing on improvement individually and as a team, the Lady Tigercats have to earn wins to make it to districts.

Martin explained to make it to districts, the team has to beat multiple teams they have lost to previously.

She is confident the team has the ability to do so, but it’s a matter of reducing unforced errors, serving consistently and playing aggressively.

The Lady Tigercats host Touchet in Kahlotus on Oct. 15, with match time at 6:30 p.m.