After an easy first-set win last Thursday, the Wright City volleyball team could not find the answer for Orchard Farm’s Aubrey Nilicia. The senior didn’t get a kill in the first game, but had eight in the second and third to help the Eagles defeat the Wildcats 25-13, 11-25, 17-25 at Orchard Farm.

For the Wildcats, it was the second three-set loss in as many days. 

It was all Wright City in set one. 

Donavan Holmes showed her prowess from the service line with a pair of aces to help the Wildcats take a 4-2 lead. The Orchard Farm offense couldn’t find a rhythm, committing several errors. In the run, the Wright City offense — and Holmes — looked sharp. The junior took an overpass and put it down for a huge kill to extend the Wright City lead to 15-8 later in the set.  Holmes had four kills in the match. 

Wright City Head Coach Amy Geurin said the work of Holmes and senior hitter DeAsha Briner will be important to the success of the 2017 season.

“I think Donavan and DeAsha are a huge factor in whether we win or lose.  If we can have both of them leading in kills for the game we can usually pull off that set,” Geurin said. 

In the first set, the  Wildcats served well — amassing five aces in the set, including one from sophomore Ashlyn Earle, who was able to lead a charge of seven straight points on her serve in the first set.  Briner had the hot hand for Wright City in the first set, coming down with four kills, including one down the line to clinch the 25-13 first-set win.

The second set was all Orchard Farm. Senior Julie Johnston served an ace deep in the court for a 3-1 Orchard Farm lead. A kill by Nilicia followed to extend the lead to 4-1. Wright City never threatened in the second set.  Five of Nilicia’s kills came in the second set. The Eagles had five service aces in set two — two of which came from Olivia Papa — who had six aces in the match. Her two aces in the second set came in the last two points to wrap up things up.

Geurin said her team has to work to maintain focus throughout entire matches.

“I was very proud of my girls in the first set. I think they stayed motivated and focused on the game,” Geurin said.  “In the second game, we lost some of that momentum because the fans started to get into their heads. With it being the beginning of the season, that is something we will need to work on to stay focused no matter what the fans are saying.”

Holmes had a huge block for the Wildcats to start the third set to cut the Orchard Farm lead to 2-1, but Papa came up big again on the serve, rattling off five straight points to help Orchard Farm take a 7-1 advantage. The Eagles built an 18-6 lead before Wright City was able to respond offensively. The Wildcats rattled off five straight points off kills by Briner, Holmes and Elizabeth Lopez to cut the lead to 18-11. 

Holmes had another ace in a four-point Wright City run to close the gap to 20-16. The junior had three aces on the night. 

But Orchard Farm took over from there.

Orchard Farm’s Sydney Pearlman had a pair of kills and Josie Wagner’s ace serve in the corner ended the set and the match. 

Briner had nine kills on the night to pace Wright City. Freshman setter Reagan Charlesworth had 12 assists in the match. Senior setter Alexis Siefert chipped in five assists. 

A two-set victory against Bowling Green Thursday takes Wright City to 1-3 on the year. The Wildcats travel to Principia Thursday.