If there was ever a match where a team could have mixed feelings about itself heading into a brutal week, this was it.
The Carson High volleyball team showed its promise - and that it's future is still questionable - in a 17-25, 21-25, 25-16, 25-12, 12-15 loss to McQueen at Morse Burley Gym on Thursday.
The Senators played about as well in games three and four as poorly as they played in the first two games before falling just short in game five, failing to overcome a 9-4 deficit in the final game.
Carson can't afford to start this slowly next week when it faces Sierra League powers Reno High at Reno on Tuesday and Douglas at home this Thursday.
"Next week is our toughest week of the season," Carson coach Shana Wilkins said. "But that's the way it goes. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day."
So what does Wilkins think of her team heading into league? "I don't know," Wilkins said. "We didn't start out very well.
"We started out playing terrible. We just didn't play with enough emotion and passion. But we were able to come back, which is positive. We have the skill."
Carson came back thanks in major part to the powerful blocking combo of Nikki Keller and setter Shannon Earwood, who combined for 19 blocks. Keller had 13 and Earwood had six.
But ironically it was a mistake made by Keller that prevent Carson from coming all the way back. It appeared she had made a block to tie the score 12-12 in the fifth game, but she was called for being in the net, so the Lancers led instead 13-11.
Earwood and Keller combined for the last block to close Carson to within 14-12 before McQueen closed out the match. "Game five we just couldn't finish it," Wilkins said.
McQueen took a 2-0 lead in game five before Nicole Carlevato's kill helped Carson tie the score 2-2, but the Lancers went on to take a 7-3 lead. Earwood's kill from the back row temporarily stopped the run and closed Carson to within 7-4 before McQueen went up 9-4.
Carson then closed to 10-8 when McQueen appeared to hit a ball outside the antenna that eventually landed in. The Lancers were originally awarded the point for an 11-8 lead.
But after Wilkins pleaded her case, the point was replayed, leaving the score at 10-8. Bridjett Huish served for an ace to bring Carson to within 10-9, but McQueen went on to take a 12-9 lead. A Keller block and Blaike King's ace pulled Carson to within 12-11 before the call against Keller that helped seal Carson's fate.
Morgan Nuckolls' dink and kill and Keller's ace staked Carson to a 7-3 lead and Kristina Diamond's kill made it 8-5. Katie McEwan's ace began a run that helped Carson take a 14-8 lead.
After McQueen closed to within 17-13, Mavil Diaz made a diving dig and Earwood followed up with a dink that made it 18-13. Carson led 20-16 when it finished the game with a 5-0 run, with a Diaz ace and a Danae Eckart kill helping to put the game away.
Carson began game four with a 5-0 run behind five straight service points from King. Diaz had a kill and Keller and Earwood combined for a block during the run.
The Senators received a break when they clearly tipped a kill attempt, but the ball was ruled to have gone out without them touching it to give them an 8-2 lead. Carson went on to take a 19-6 lead with Earwood setting up Keller for two kills on quick hits during the run.
After McQueen closed to within 19-11, Earwood set up Keller for another kill on a quick hit to make it 20-11 and end any hopes of a Lancer comeback. Earwood and Kailey Taylor followed by combining on a block and Breanna Anderson had a kill and a dink to help Carson put the game away.
Keller also had seven kills, one ace and three digs, Eckart had four kills, six digs, a block and two aces, Earwood added five kills, seven digs and 29 assists and Diaz had three aces, a kill and five digs.
Here is info on the Douglas vs Churchill County volleyball match held Thurs 9/6 at Douglas. Douglas won in 4 games: 25-14, 25-11, 28-30, 25-17
DOUGLAS 3, FALLON 1
Douglas (9-1) defeated Fallon 25-14, 25-11, 28-30, 25-17. Jourdan Burke had 14 kills, two blocks, one dig and two aces, Jessica Waggoner had 10 kills and 10 blocks, Melissa Brown had four kills, one block, one ace and one dig, Christine DuPuis had two kills, Bridget Maestretti had a kill, a block and two aces, Jordan Marsh had a kill, Megan Mitchell had one kill, 28 assists and three aces, Alyssa Todd had a kill, Mysta Townsell had a kill, one block, three aces and five digs, Allie Hughes had a block, 11 assists and two digs and Mary Lombino had 24 digs and an ace for Douglas.
Douglas won the junior varsity match in two straight games and Douglas won the freshmen match in three games.
CARSON JVS 4, MCQUEEN 0
Carson (4-0) won the junior varsity match 25-21, 25-16. Brittney Wyatt had a kill and nine digs, Alexis Church had seventh digs, Skylar Peterson had two digs, Meagan Nuckolls had two digs, Sara Anderson had one kill, one dig and one block, Karli Dodge had three kills and four digs, Sarah Kerkla had two kills and a dig, Elizabeth Cagle had two kills, two digs and four aces, Natalia Peccorilla had four kills and three digs and Kendra Krupp hadtwo kills, two digs and a block.