The Issaquah Eagles (11-1) rallied for a dramatic 3-2 (25-17, 21-25, 15-25, 30-28, 15-9) victory over the Mount Si Wildcats (11-3) on Oct. 16.

After winning the first set 25-17, the Eagles dropped two straight sets, giving the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.

Issaquah junior Sadie Bacon said when they fell behind, it was because the team wasn’t always working together.

“The sets that we lost, sometimes we weren’t playing as a team,” Bacon said. “Coming together as a team really helps so everyone is on the same page and playing together as well.”

In the fourth set, Mount Si took a 22-15 lead over Issaquah, but the Eagles were able to shift momentum and began to chip away at the lead. The Eagles rallied, getting 15 of the next 21 points to win the set, 30-28. During the rally, Bacon said the team never gave up, even when Mount Si served with match point twice.

“We came together as a team and we pushed as hard as we could,” Bacon said. “We were just like, ‘no balls dropped, we have to work our hardest. It’s not over yet, the game isn’t over.’”

Heading into the winner-take-all fifth set, Bacon said the Eagles were determined to get the win after tying it up at two sets apiece

“We came this far,” Bacon said. “We can’t lose it now. This is our set.”

Issaquah jumped out to a 14-9 lead in the game-deciding fifth set. With the Eagles at match point, Bacon ended a back-and-forth rally with one of her nine blocks to complete their comeback victory.

“It was a long rally and was like, ‘I gotta end it,’” Bacon said. “So I pressed over as hard as I could, and I got the block.” Middle hitter Maya Patton led the Eagles with 16 kills and setter Olivia Morgan had 41 assists.

The win keeps the Eagles in a first-place tie with the North Creek Jaguars (11-2), both with a 7-1 4A KingCo record. The Jaguars handed the Eagles their only loss of the season with a 3-0 sweep (25-23, 28-26, 25-23) on Oct. 14 at Issaquah High School. Bacon said it was great to bounce back from a loss with a win against Mount Si.

“It’s an amazing feeling to work so hard to get that end result,” Bacon said. “It’s nice.”

The Eagles brought the momentum from their victory over the Wildcats into their next game against the Woodinville Falcons (1-10) on Oct. 21. Issaquah swept the Falcons (25-15, 25-14, 25-9) to keep pace with North Creek in the league standings.

Issaquah middle hitter Sidney Cottrell jumps to hit the ball during the Eagles’ 3-2 victory over the Mount Si Wildcats on Oct. 16. Benjamin Olson/staff photo

Mount Si volleyball players Megan Underbrink (7), Dana Dolan (2), Jade Petrzelka (4) and Issaquah’s Rachel Ratcliffe (9) watch the ball during a 3-2 Issaquah win on Oct. 16. Benjamin Olson/staff photo