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The Packer volleyball team came up one play short of being in the driver’s seat in game three, and they couldn’t muster a bounce back effort after they lost to Owatonna by scores 25-16, 18-25, 28-26, 25-14 in Packer Gym Tuesday.

The Packers (5-6 overall) took a 26-25 lead in the third game on a kill by Quinn Osgood, but the Huskies (6-7 overall) scored the next three points to close it out. The entire game was back and forth, with no team leading by more than three.

“We came out and we had that great energy and we just had to keep it up,” said Austin senior setter Haleigh Holman, who had 14 set-assists. “We had some really good plays and we had a lot of great swings, we just came up short.”

After dropping the highly contested third game, the Packers fell behind 6-2 to start the fourth game and they never came back.

“We work really hard at omitting our areas and in game two we definitely did that, but then we came back and made too many errors,” Austin head coach Nichelle Guillaume said. “It’s a tough one to walk out of the gym tonight, but hopefully we see them again and have a different outcome.”

Austin trailed the first game 11-9 early on, but Owatonna eventually pulled away. Austin led throughout most of the second game and Osgood served a key ace to put the Packers up 24-17.

While the loss stings, the Packers are thinking big picture and the team is still set on improving.

“It’s really good to have competition,” said Austin senior Katara Fischer. “We just have to finish and start stronger. We’ve all grown mentally and we’ve grown together as a team. The chemistry is there.”

Austin stats: Isabella Bolster, 4 aces; Quinn Osgood, 12 kills, 14 digs; Addison Walsh, 14 digs; Haleigh Holman, 14 set assists; Elizabeth Clennon, 13 set assists