Round one for taking the lead in the High Desert League tilted in Galena's favor Tuesday in Fallon.
The Lady Grizzlies volleyball team swept a Northern 4A match from the 'Wave, 25-13, 25-21 and 25-20. With the win, Galena improves to 27-5 overall, 3-0 in the HDL. Fallon falls to 16-4, 2-1.
"We're still trying to gel as a team. That's part of the process," said Galena coach Teresa Burrows.
Although Galena swept the league match from its fiercest conference rival, Burrows feels the Grizzlies did not play consistently on offense.
Defense, though, told a different story.
"The girls responded well to Fallon's pushing in the second and third games," said the veteran coach.
Fallon looked confident and strong in the first game as the 'Wave took a quick 4-2 lead. Galena eventually tied the game and then raced out to a 13-5 lead behind Kate Wallace's seven service points.
Wallace also did a good job setting as she made 29 assists.
Fallon committed five forced errors in returning the ball to Galena, and the Grizzlies experience at the net enabled the visitors to control the game's tempo.
Jenny Burrows frustrated Fallon at the net as the Galena senior had eight kills, seven blocks and seven digs.
Galena's outside hitting also took advantage of Fallon's hesitancy as Julia Mailander led the team with 10 kills, and her sister Lydia had six.
Galena's Chelsea Applebaum put the game away with five service points late in the set.
Fallon coach Coleen Meihack said her team played guarded after starting strong.
"We did have some great moments, but we did not play consistently. We were second guessing on the court."
Fallon played a more inspired second set in which the lead changed five times.
The Greenwave's Siri Frey and Jessica Daum provided some consistent serving early in the game.
With Fallon leading 13-11, Applebaum, though, stepped up to serve, and the Galena senior delivered seven unanswered points to regain the lead for her Grizzlies.
Applebaum, who has played club volleyball with many of the Fallon players, said she was pleased with her serving.
"I was just hitting them deep," she said, explaining how she avoided serving the ball to certain opponents.
"I kept the ball to their left side." Applebaum said.
Fallon never regained the lead although the 'Wave came within two points late in the game, 23-21, after two kills from Jessica Daum.
"Nothing's easy," said coach Burrows. "Fallon's a competitive team. They have some fire power."
Applebaum agreed.
"We always expect Fallon to come back," she said.
Game three belonged to Galena.
The Grizzlies jumped out in front of Fallon 7-1. Each team traded points before Fallon sliced Galena's lead to within three points, 18-15, after Daum took control and recorded seven service points of her won.
Galena saw its lead evaporate even more to 21-20, but heads up play from Julia Mailander at the net and three points from the Galena hitter gave the Grizzlies the five-point win. Meihack said if Fallon had played its game, the scores may have been different and there could have been more than three games played between the two league rivals.
"There's no where to go but up. We now know what to work on," the first year coach pointed out.
Fallon's efforts were spread out among the team. Daum led the team with six kills while Tonya Sorensen and Frey each had two. Ashley Sloan led the 'Wave with nine assists.
Fallon had several good, individual efforts at the net. Sloan blocked the ball four times, and Bethany Ellis and Frey each had three blocks.
Daum and Jennifer Easton each finished the match with two digs.
