5 Set Thriller at the Snake Pit

The Lethbridge Kodiaks Rolled in to the Snake Pit to face off against the Medicine Hat Rattlers. Warm Weather brought life to a Medicine Hat team which had struggled as of late. A fast start helped by strong service from Paige Burton Had the Rattlers off to a 11-5 lead. Lethbridge attempted to calm the storm calling a timeout early in the set. This helped briefly as the Kodiaks won the next few points, but only a few as the Rattler offence kept clicking doubling up the Kodiaks at 16-8. Medicine Hat allowed the Kodiaks to creep back closer late in the game with their lead cut to 6. This was as close as they would come as the Rattlers closed out the set on a big kill from Brooke Christie, winning 25-17.

The second set started much like the First with two bad passes off Rattler Serves resulting in Points for the home side. Kodiak Kristine Ward, evened the score with two big kills before Medicine Hat won back the serve. Medicine Hat used this momentum to take control again leading early 8-4. The Kodiaks moved back into a favorable rotation and stormed back into the game trailing by one 8-9. This resurgence had the Rattlers calling a timeout in an effort to squash the Comeback. This didn't seem to work as the Kodiaks battled back to take the lead from the Rattlers. The Intensity of the game picked up as both teams were finally making plays and killing the ball. The score remained within a few points as the teams battled to take the close second set. The Kodiaks won the last 4 points of the game to tie the match with a 25-20 set win.

The third set started with a long Rally that Lethbridge capitalized on, drawing first blood. Now warmed up both teams looked sharper and neither seemed to gain an advantage early. The Game tied at 10, momentum swung back and forth with each point. Both teams looking to have the advantage at one point as the score climbed slowly. A small advantage for the Rattlers Opened up with a serving run and a 18-14 lead. A timeout from each team to catch their breath, and 2 big blocks from Rattlers Brook Christie and Paige Burton saw the Rattlers threatening up 23-18. Another Block from Janessa Oelke Sealed the Set winning 25-19.

Lethbridge Hoped to prolong the Match in a Must win fourth set. Lethbridge Came out hard taking an early lead up 6-3. Medicine Hat battled hard on a few long rallies to knot the game back up at 7. With this momentum swing the Rattlers took off scoring another 4 unanswered to lead 11-7. The Kodiaks came back to tie the game at 11 with 4 unanswered of their own. This had Rattlers starting to scramble and brought in a substitution. This seemed to help as the teams once again were deadlocked at 16. Still tied at 20 both teams fought to take control in a tight set. Down 22-23, Medicine Hat took their last timeout in an effort to end the match in 4. They took the next two points, but the Kodiaks came back to tie it at 24. Lethbridge scored the last 2 on scramble plays to take the 4^th and tie the match 26-24.

The 5^th and Deciding set was Needed in Medicine Hat as the Rattlers and the Kodiaks swapped wins in a hard-fought battle from both teams. Medicine Hat came out in the last frame taking the first 5 points in the set. Kodiaks coach Anna Schwark called an early Timeout in an effort to stop the bleeding. Lethbridge scored the next two points then Medicine Hat took over, leading at the switch 8-2. The court change seemed to do more than the timeout as the Kodiaks only trailed 9-5 forcing the Rattlers to call timeout. Now only down 2, the Kodiaks with the serve hoped to get back into the game. Medicine Hat slowed the momentum swing and held the lead moving ahead 13-9 forcing the Kodiaks to take a timeout. With too much momentum on their side the Rattlers Closed out the game 15-10 winning 3 sets to 2.