By MITCH TREESE

and MICHELLE STEARNS

For The Beachcomber

The Pirates hosted the Cascade Christian Cougars for a stunning five-game match on Monday, Oct. 20.

The Pirates started out sluggish, so the Cougars took advantage and started to creep away with a lead. The score was 9-14 Cougars.

Then Katie “K-Tom” Tomlinson (14) served a stinging ace and the game was on. Middle blocker Marika Treese (15) smashed a kill to the court, and it was 11-14, then 12-14, as the lead seesawed back and forth.

With the score 21-21, Jessica Pirruccio (9) came to the serving line, and the Pirates came alive. Not to be denied, Pirruccio served five great bullets into the Cougars back row, and the Pirates took game one 25-21.

In game two, the Cougars came back hard and handily stole it 25-12, giving each team one win.

Game three was more of the same, with the Cougars knocking the Pirates on their heels with a 25-14 pounding.

Game four was another slug fest, with the lead changing five times during the match and ending at 27-25 for the Pirates to even the match at 2 -2.

Game five was all about the Cougars, who finally ended the match with three of the five games under their belts. Treese (15) had the game high kills at 10, with outside hitter Margaret Gritten (3) close behind with 8.

On Oct. 22, the Pirates hosted the Life Christian Eagles.

In game one, the Pirates took complete control and blocked, killed and aced their way to a 26-16 win. India Everett (7) had six well-placed kill shots and 1 ace to lead the team. Game two, the Eagles capitalized on the Pirate’s numerous errors and secured the win 25-23.

Game three was brutal, with the lead changing four times. Numerous kills by Everett (7) and Treese (15) were diluted by other Pirate errors that returned points to the Eagles. In the end it was 25-19, eventually giving the momentum back to the Pirates.

Game four was all Pirates, sending the Eagles packing with a 25-8 shellacking.

— Mitch Treese and Michelle Stearns are volleyball parents.