The rare role of volleyball underdog agreed with Montesano on Oct. 3.

Monte rode the hitting of McKenna Miller and Lindsay Pace and the playmaking of Hannah Hatcher and Janessa Otterstetter to upend Hoquiam, 25-14, 25-23, 17-25, 25-19, in an Evergreen 1A League match on Oct. 3 at Hoquiam Square Garden.

The Bulldogs (2-1, 5-4) rebounded from a rough week in which they were decisively beaten by league-leading Elma and needed five sets to overcome winless Tenino.

They were much more confident on the attack on Oct. 3. Miller led Monte hitters with 13 kills while Pace was perhaps conservatively credited with five.

Hatcher, who began the season as a setter but has since shifted to the libero position, brought up 24 digs. Now the primary setter, Otterstetter contributed 22 assists.

“We mentally prepared for the game as well as physically,” Montesano coach Renee Volz said. “We communicated well and our passing was on.”

Aside from a stretch in the third set in which Kamimi Papp was finding the range, Hoquiam (1-1, 4-5) was badly off in its hitting. Papp put down a match-high 15 kills, but Grizzly coach Heather Bozich acknowledged that her team’s hitting errors probably exceeded its kills.

“We didn’t have anybody step up and take control, which is frustrating when you have a roster of seniors and juniors,” Bozich said. “Credit to Montesano. They passed very well tonight. They were scrappy and they attacked better than we did.”

Hoquiam’s Kacey Pelan served three consecutive aces to lift the Grizzlies into a 16-16 deadlock in the fourth set.

Miller, however, then sandwiched two kills around a missed Hoquiam tip to put the Bulldogs ahead to stay.

Pace’s stuff block gave Montesano match point at 24-19. The Bulldogs hit long to prolong matters, but another Grizzly hitting error closed it out.

A seesaw second set proved critical to the outcome.

Karlie Krohn served six consecutive points to rally Hoquiam to a 20-all tie. The Grizzlies never took the lead, however, and Miller put away an Otterstetter set on set point.

Pelan had 22 assists and libero ReyLynn Dunn 30 digs for Hoquiam.

Bulldogs in three

The Grizzlies rallied to win both the JV (24-26, 25-18, 15-10) and C squad (17-25, 25-20, 15-5) matches.

Later in the week on Oct. 5, Montesano finished off a 25-18, 25-20, 25-22 victory overF orks in an Evergreen 1A League contest at Bo Griffith Memorial Gym.

“We came back and fought hard,” Volz said. “We were a lot more consistent in our play tonight.”

Hatcher had 16 digs and Otterstetter 15 assists for the Bulldogs (3-1, 6-4). Miller and Pace shared Monte hitting honors with five kills apiece.

Forks won the JV match, 25-17, 20-25, 15-7. Montesano’s C squad prevailed, 25-23, 25-23.