It’s a wonder the Lopez volleyball team has any skin left on their knees.

Though the Lopez Lady Lobos fell 14-25, 22-25, and 21-25 to the Orcas Lady Vikings, the court was on fire. Both teams were well matched but Orcas was better with ball placement into the Lopez weak spots. The Lady Vikings had great game presence, but they were skilled at pulling the opposition off guard and then smacking the ball down where there was little to no coverage.

“It is a mental game. We’re finally learning that we don’t always have to use brute force,” coach for the Lady Vikings, Greg Sasan, said. “If we can think about what we do, we can place balls where we want them instead of pounding away with no thought.”

But while the Lady Vikings came out on top in points, the Lady Lobos strutted their stuff.

Lady Lobo Sarah Stanley had several diving saves that had onlookers gasping. There were multiple-strike volleys as players from both sides dove out of bounds to keep the ball in play. Both teams played like seasoned smart veterans, instead of teams who were just getting going for the season.

“Emily Bodenhammer, a sophomore this year, is starting to hit the ball now and she surprised me with her consistency,” Sasan said.

The intensity of the game throughout was pumped. Lindsay Anderson, playing libero (defensive position) for Orcas, had some stunning saves, as well as Jeanie Tran who played a super-aggressive game at the net for the Orcas team. Lanie Padbury had more than her share of some power-fisted kills that left the Lady Lobos with no option of return. But both teams had rallies that lasted for up to 40 seconds. The crowd was roaring and players were throwing themselves head first onto the out of bounds lines to make sacrificial saves. And the team members were there to respond, attack and give it right back to the other team’s court.

For the Lady Lobos, Hanifah McGovern and Marina Steinbrueck had blocks at the net that consistently saved Lopez from being scored on.

“We lost, but it was a good game. It’s great to play Orcas … Greg (Sasan) always has a magnificent team, and it’s good to play against hard hitters, as we don’t have a lot of controlled spiking in this league,” Mellonnie Altona, coach for the Lady Lobos, commented.

“We’re taking it one game at a time. We’re progressing so fast … I couldn’t be more pleased. I have to say it’s really nice to be in this situation with all of this talent so early in the year,” Altona said.

The Lady Vikings play Friday Harbor at Friday Harbor on Tues Sept. 22 and then La Conner on Thurs Sept. 24 at home on Orcas.

The Lady Lobos play Skykomish at Skykomish on Tues Sept. 22, and against Lummi at home on Friday, Sept. 25 at Lopez.