Bonney Lake Survives Five-Set Thriller in Home Opener
The gym was loud before the first serve even went up, and it never let up. Bonney Lake's home opener against Auburn Riverside on Wednesday night turned into exactly the kind of match this program needed to open the season: a five-set battle, decided in the final points, in front of a packed house that didn't sit down all night.
When it was over, the Panthers had pulled out a 3-2 win, 25-15, 20-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-10, and the loudest ovation of the night belonged to Marley Joseph, who put together a 23-kill, 6-block performance and delivered the final swing to end it.
A Statement Opening Set
The first set started as a back-and-forth affair, with neither team pulling away through the early points. That changed when Taylin Beers stepped to the service line and ripped off a 5-0 run, pushing Bonney Lake ahead 19-11 and forcing an Auburn Riverside timeout to try to cool her off. It didn't work. Jianna Goodloe took over serving duties late and helped close out the set, and the Panthers rolled to a 25-15 win to open the match.
Auburn Riverside Answers
Set two looked like more of the same early, until Auburn Riverside grabbed its first lead of the night at 13-12. Bonney Lake didn't fold quietly. Joseph put together a stretch that had the crowd on its feet, a block to tie it at 16, another block, and then a kill to tie it again at 20-20. But Auburn Riverside had an answer of its own, closing the set on a run to even the match at one set apiece, 25-20.
The third set followed a similar script. Tessa Rice opened it with a block and a putaway, and Olivia Uhler delivered back-to-back spikes that briefly pulled Bonney Lake within one late. But facing match point at 24-20, the Panthers scratched back two points behind a big rally and a Joseph putaway before Auburn Riverside closed it out, 25-22, taking a 2-1 match lead.
Forcing a Fifth
Facing elimination, Bonney Lake came out of the gate in set four and built real separation, with Beers stringing together a kill and a strong serve to push the lead to 15-10. Uhler kept the pressure on with another big spike, and the Panthers leaned on a steady rotation all night to keep legs fresh in the biggest moments.
Auburn Riverside chipped away late, cutting a five-point lead down to two, but a timeout and a huge stuff block at the net from Ellie Larwig swung the momentum back. Bonney Lake found the next two points to push ahead, and after a tense final stretch that saw the lead cut to one, Lia Predmore put down the kill that forced a decisive fifth set, 25-23.
Rice Takes Over, Joseph Finishes It
If there was any doubt left in the gym, Rice erased it early in the fifth set. She opened it with a stuff block, then came right back with a putaway, then a finesse tip shot, playing like a wall at the net as Bonney Lake raced out to an 8-1 lead behind Predmore's serve. Uhler and Rice combined for another emphatic block along the way, and the Panthers pushed the lead to 11-1 before Auburn Riverside made one final push.
Auburn Riverside cut the gap to four points and forced a Bonney Lake timeout, and for a moment it looked like the Panthers might let a commanding lead slip away. Uhler wouldn't let that happen, answering with a spike to settle things down, then a monster block that put Bonney Lake within one point of the match. Auburn Riverside clawed back two more points, but Joseph closed it out with a kill, sealing the 15-10 final and the 3-2 match win.
By the Numbers
Marley Joseph: 23 kills, 6 blocks
Taylin Beers: 16 kills, 18 digs
Olivia Uhler: 9 kills, 5 blocks
Tessa Lee: 16 digs
It was the kind of night that reminded everyone in the gym why this senior class has been waiting for this season. Bonney Lake didn't get through Auburn Riverside easily, and they'll need to keep finding these answers in the toughest moments as SPSL 4A play gets underway. But if the home opener was any indication, the crowd showed up ready to make some noise, and this team gave them plenty of reason to keep coming back.
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