The LaMoille and Indian Creek volleyball teams have a rough go of it this season, winning one match between them.

They met Tuesday at Dean Madsen Gymnasium with both looking for their first win in Little Ten Conference play.

After winning the first set 25-20, the Timberwolves trailed 13-7 in the second, but outscored the Lions 19-5 to rally for a deciding 25-18 clincher.

Indian Creek coach Matt Orstead was happy to see his team get over the hump, improving to 2-18, 1-4.

“It’s been pretty hard to come by for us this season,” he said. “Even when we’re playing our absolute best, hanging with these teams, we can’t quite finish it. Even last night went to three with Mendota and lost the third set 22-25, I think. We’re so close. We’re right there.

“Even when we’re playing we can’t finish and catch a break. Very good to get a win.”

LaMoille senior Taylor Wamhoff said the Lions had seen the Timberwolves’ record and were looking forward to a competitive game.

“We were looking at Max Preps today and see their stats and stuff. We knew it was going to be exciting game,” she said.

“We do try to look at our opponents’ stats before the game just to give us an idea of what we’re going up against, get a game plan going,” LaMoille head coach Erin Lovgren said.

Alexis Flanagan, one of three freshmen in the Lions’ active seven-member roster, served an ace to give the Lions a 10-5 lead in Game 2. LaMoille increased its lead to seven at 13-6 and still had a comfortable 14-8 led,

That’s when the Timberwolves went to work. They scored five straight to pull within 14-13 and used a hit by Taylor Edwards and two kills by Abby Keilman to take its first lead of the game at 16-14.

The Timberwolves outscored the Lions 9-4 the rest of the way, capped by an ace by freshman Kendra Buh.

Indian Creek led throughout the first game, grabbing leads of 16-11 and 20-15. Grace Kelly followed up a net serve by the Timberwolves with an ace to draw the Lions within 20-17.

Wamhoff made it a 23-19 game with a kill but a serve receive error and double hit gave the Timberwolves the game 25-20.

Orstead said the Timberwolves didn’t come out with much energy.

“It’s kind of tough when you come here and there’s not a big crowd,” he said. “It’s very, very quiet. And how we going to find our own energy and make our own noise and try to get amped up a little bit.

“I think after a slow start, we finally started picking it up a little bit. Second set, started off a little shaky, but they turned it around and played a lot better, being aggressive and started playing our volleyball.”

The Lions were disappointed to not be able to force a third game to try to take the match.

“We were pretty excited. I think we lost some communication in that second game, but I think they started pulling it back toward the end of the game,” Lovgren said. “It was just unfortunate we couldn’t go three games.”

“I think our girls get excited and when they’re doing well, they get a little flustered and frustrated. That’s when things start to happen to them,” LaMoille assistant coach Ericka Kleckner said. “They’re so excited and got all this energy and the ball just starts to go foreign.”

Wamhoff saw a lot of positives that the Lions can build off moving forward.

“Definitely a bunch of highlights. Made us feel a little more pumped up,” she said.