Rangers rout Mary Knight in volleyball opener

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Quilcene came to play.

The Rangers run roughshod over the Mary Knight High School in the volleyball season opener last Thursday on their home court in Quilcene.

The Rangers won in straight sets, 3-0.

“It was a huge night,” said Quilcene Coach Cailey Snyder. 

“We had a lot of our starters out and so our second string really stepped up and they played their hearts out. And it showed,” the coach said.

Despite a sluggish start with some of the first points going to Mary Knight early in the first set — and a series of tie after tie score — the Rangers settled down to take the first-set victory.

And then the second. And third.

“We had a lot of our experienced players step up,” Snyder said. “Shelby Love came up with a strong jump serve that just finished up our game.”

“Anna Munn was our surprise libero who had a straight-shot serve that was difficult to receive. Savana McBride was sub outside hitter; normally she’s an opposite and she was all over the place, getting kills,” Snyder added. 

“Stormie [Elkins], our center, was running around leading the game, calling the shots. I mean, everybody just really stepped up in a big way,” she said.

Love finished with five aces and five kills.

McBride was 100 percent on serving, and added eight kills.

Elkins added five aces, 12 assists, and four kills.

Sierra Graunke contributed five aces, and Munn added four aces of her own.

Jayden Talley had three aces and two kills for the Rangers, while teammate Breanna Bancroft contributed one kill.

The Rangers had been scheduled to start the season against Crescent High, but that contest was called off.

Snyder had few expectations going into the matchup with Mary Knight.

“You never know how a game is going to go. You never know who is going to have an off night, or what,” she said. “But I’m just happy we were able to get it in three. It was a long week; long school day.”