Bothell sweeps Inglemoor, preps for conference tournament | Prep volleyball

There was little drama between the Bothell and Inglemoor High volleyball teams on Wednesday evening in the conference finale.

By John William Howard • October 27, 2016 1:39 am
Bothell junior Maddie Butters (15) tips the ball over the outstretched hands of Inglemoor’s Kristen Compton in the second set of Bothell’s 3-0 win on Wednesday in Kenmore. JOHN WILLIAM HOWARD/Bothell-Kenmore Reporter
Bothell junior Maddie Butters (15) tips the ball over the outstretched hands of Inglemoor’s Kristen Compton in the second set of Bothell’s 3-0 win on Wednesday in Kenmore. JOHN WILLIAM HOWARD/Bothell-Kenmore Reporter

There was little drama between the Bothell and Inglemoor High volleyball teams on Wednesday evening in the conference finale.

Bothell swept Inglemoor 25-16, 25-20, 25-21 on Wednesday at Inglemoor High School in Kenmore in what amounted to a tune-up match before the Cougars participate in the KingCo tournament next week.

“We wanted a playoff atmosphere and attitude,” Bothell coach Russell Monsef said. “Not like our backs were against the wall, but we just wanted to feel it. We may be in that position, so let’s play like it. We came out focused and on fire.”

The Cougars (5-2 KingCo, 11-3) dominated the first set with 15 kills. Bothell senior Alexa Torres finished the match with nine kills on 23 attempts, while Maddie Butters had seven kills and Sierra Myers had six.

Win or lose, Bothell was scheduled to play Mount Si in the first round of the Class 4A KingCo tournament at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 3 at Bothell High School. The Cougars and Wildcats met twice in the regular season, with Bothell winning in five sets on Sept. 20. Bothell swept Mount Si on Sept. 28.

The second round of the tournament also takes place on Nov. 3, immediately following the first round matches. A win over Mount Si would set up a match against Issaquah. The Eagles handed Bothell one of two conference defeats this season.

“We just have to execute better,” Monsef said of the team’s chances in the tournament. “The matches we lost were our worst performances of the season, so we’ve got to make a good pass on first ball and our hitters have to execute.”

For Inglemoor, the playoff picture hazy. The loss to Bothell drops Inglemoor into a three-way tie for the sixth seed in the conference tournament along with Newport and Woodinville.

The three teams are scheduled to meet for a coin flip at Inglemoor High School on Oct. 31. The odd-team out gets a bye for the first round of a three-team playoff, with the winner of the playoff advancing to the conference tournament.

Inglemoor coach Milton Guerreiro said the road through the playoff won’t be an easy one.

“We still have some weak areas on defense and offense, and it’s stuff we can’t overcome,” Guerreiro said. “We don’t have the personnel to make big blocks out there that we need, and other hitters are going right after us.”

“Our team this year is exactly what you saw: we have spurts of brilliancy, and then they had long runs on us,” Guerreiro said. “We have to tighten it up.”