Dollar Bay-Tamarack City’s Kendra Kangas (10) sets the ball against Chassell on Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, in Dollar Bay, Mich. (Eddie O’Neill/The Daily Mining Gazette)

DOLLAR BAY — Despite a rough season on the volleyball court, Dollar Bay-Tamarack City head coach Rachael Griffin said her team’s lackluster play Monday night was no excuse.

She’s seen better as the Blue Bolts fell in three sets to the Chassell Panthers 25-7, 25-13 and 25-16.

“We were just flat tonight,” she said. “It was a rough game. We have had a couple of really good past games where we actually played volleyball. The girls were not there tonight.”

Their best set was the third where they took an early lead and stayed in the game at 4-4 and 5-5. The key to their late game success was teamwork. Their serve receive was better thanks to their libero Maggie Gaunt. She got the ball to their setter Kendra Kangas who put some great balls up to the Blue Bolts outside hitters such as Tatiana Reyes-Luoma.

“Maggie had some great bumps off some strong Chassell serves,” Griffin said. “Then Kendra was putting the ball where it needed to be.”

The Blue Bolts lagged three or four points behind the Panthers until Chassell began to pull away with a six then seven point lead. Chassell’s Nora Huhta capped off the third set and the match with a kill at 24 and then a strong serve to make it a 25-16 victory.

The two firsts sets belonged to Chassell. They were able to put the ball over the net and past Dollar Bay in more ways than one. Senior Maelene Warren led the vertical charge with nine kills. Huhta followed with eight. The duo were deadly with putting the ball in the middle of he court.

“Those two along with our setter Madisyn Holombo played really well tonight,” said Panthers’ head coach Karli McMullen.

In the first set, the Panthers jumped out to a 15-5 lead and never looked back. At the service line, they were led by Alia Palosaari who had a run of five to move the Panthers to a 19-7 till. Linnea Huhta capped off the first with a kill.

Errors plagued the Blue Bolts in the second. Too many balls dropped due to lack of communication, and the Panthers moved out to a 10-3 lead. With Nora Huhta at the line they made it 15-5.

“The girls are playing much better together,” McMullen said. “They showed some good communication tonight.

Chassell stayed on a roll to close out the second 25-13.

With the win, the Panthers move to 7-1 and finish the season against Jeffers tonight and Lake Linden on Thursday.

The Blue Bolts play next week in districts.

ALSO: Baraga swept L’Anse 3-0 on Monday.