Defending champs still too good

COEUR d'ALENE - Almost every free ball, every hit that was supposed to be downed for a kill, every dig that could be made was executed by defending 5A state champion Lewiston.

Facing the only team that beat the Bengals last season in 5A Inland Empire League play - call it revenge, call it domination, call it whatever you want - Lake City could not break through Tuesday night at Lake City.

Lewiston won 25-23, 25-14, 25-16.

Lewiston senior outside hitter Klaree Hobart, who had 15 digs, four kills and four aces, remembers last season's loss in vivid detail.

"It was pretty embarrassing," Hobart said. "It's nice to come up here and get a win."

The Timberwolves (8-2, 1-1 5A IEL) could not come up with a consistent attack against the Bengals.

"I think one thing they were able to do is keep us off balance with their serve," Lake City coach Bret Taylor said. "And we didn't play in our system as well as we would've liked to. We struggled a little bit there. Defensively, we played really well."

Lewiston (14-0, 3-0) has become perhaps the gold standard around Idaho in terms of volleyball.

"It's a measuring stick," Taylor said. "We certainly have to play better than that. It's nice playing a team that's like that so you can see what your weaknesses are."

In the first game, a Timberwolf hitting error put Lewiston up 24-23.

Brett Hastings, a 6-foot middle blocker, came up with the big kill on game point for the Bengals.

"At the end of that game, we were in a really good position to win that (game) and we had a few hitting and passing errors that didn't allow us to complete the set and win," Taylor said.

The only real consistent threat for Lake City's attack was junior Natalie Taylor from the left side.

"It was a little more difficult," Natalie Taylor said. "They're a really good team. They really push us, they make us a better team. It'll help us in the long run. It's mostly in our heads."

Taylor led Lake City in kills, while Kaity Widmyer led in assists.

Lewiston outside hitter Emilee Schlader had 10 kills. Madison Lang added six kills. Makayla Wilson set up her hitters with 18 assists.

The Timberwolves play tonight at Ferris in Spokane.