Ilwaco junior Natalie Gray (11) drops a return shot in an open space against Forks.

ILWACO — The Ilwaco Lady Fishermen volleyball team lost to the Forks Spartans in straight sets (25-14, 25-11, 25-8) Thursday, Oct. 13 in Ilwaco.

The loss dropped the Lady Fishermen (3-11) to sixth place in the eight-team 2B Pacific League standings while Forks climbs into second place, trailing only Raymond (11-2).

In the first set, Forks jumped out to a 4-1 advantage before the Lady Fishermen regained momentum and tied the game at 6 behind strong serving from senior Kiera Roush. Forks responded with a run of their own, retaking the lead 10-6, which quickly swelled to 19-9 after some Ilwaco miscues. Following a timeout, Ilwaco traded points for the remainder of the first set, with Forks winning the set, 25-14.

In the second set, Forks again raced to a 4-1 lead, which grew to a 13-5 Spartans advantage midway through. Ilwaco changed formations and shuffled lineups to slow the Forks scoring, however the Spartans took the second set 25-11.

In the third set, Forks built an early 10-point lead (13-3) before Ilwaco drew within single digits (17-8). However, the Spartans were able stop the run and cruise to a 25-8 victory.

The 10-member Ilwaco varsity volleyball team includes seniors Kiera Roush (7), Julianna Fleming (10), Olivia McKinstry (13), Justyce Patana (5) and Briahna O’Brien (12); juniors Clara Robinson (2), Isabell McKinney (4), Alycia Figueroa (6), Natalie Gray (11), and freshmen Sophia Bittner (8).

Up next: Ilwaco will participate in the Adna Invitational Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Adna High School.