ARLINGTON — The Lady Eagles volleyball team faced a tough opponent in Kamiak on Tuesday, Oct. 8, but proved they were up for the challenge.

“They were a really trough team and they played really well, but so did we, and in that sense, I was really satisfied with the way we played,” said head coach Chad Palmiter. Arlington lost the first set, 24-26, but won the next two, 25-23 and 26-24. It was in the last two sets that Kamiak turned it around to take the victory, winning 25-14 and 15-9.

“With any loss, it’s tough after, because it’s kind of a let down, but the more I thought about it and looked at our stats in the game, it’s definitely a step in the right direction for us,” said Palmiter. “The real killer is that if we won that first set it would have been over in three. It was a battle for the first three sets, but Kamiak found another gear to shift into.”

Junior Audrey Frolich was the stat leader for the match, with 17 kills and 20 digs. Shelby Shackelford had 17 digs and 18 assists.

The Eagles are facing a difficult time, with several team injuries and strong Wesco South opponents.

“[Brooke Johnson] got injured in the very first match. She slipped on some water on the floor and sprained her wrist,” said Palmiter. “It’s just basically been bothering her the whole season, which is a frustration, because she is a captain, a leader on the team, and a very strong hitter. It’s been a nagging injury that has plagued her. She keeps it in a brace when she is not playing, and uses that athletic tape that helps give support during games. That’s been a struggle this season.”

Johnson was able to battle through to get 10 kills in the match against Kamiak. Although Johnson’s injury allows her to keep playing, the Eagles lost two players to other injuries that keep them out of the game.

“Amy Revelle, one of our passers, has a concussion and hasn’t been able to play for almost two weeks,” said Palmiter. “She can’t see any activity until she is symptom free. Also, Michaela Krogan is out for the rest of the season due to problems with her back. That’s a big loss, because she is one of my starting middles and we had to pull up a player from the JV team to fill that spot.”

Even though they showed they could compete against Kamiak, they still face strong Wesco teams from the South division.

“It’s basically the three best teams in the South right in a row,” said Palmiter. “Kamiak lost a couple of close ones, but otherwise I expect they will keep playing at a high level, and Jackson is a traditional powerhouse. Edmonds-Woodway has been playing really well too, so this is a tough stretch for us. But we played so much better against Kamiak that at least we are moving in the right direction, and I don’t see why we can’t pull out a win, especially at home.”

The Eagles face Edmonds-Woodway on Tuesday, Oct. 15, in an away match at 7 p.m.