By Mike Rubin

After a promising start, the Somerville High School girls volleyball team continues to search for victories.

Following a tough 3-0 loss to Lawrence Sept. 27, the Highlanders responded with a strong effort against Everett on Wednesday. Even with a 1-0 lead, the Highlanders couldn’t secure the victory en route to a 3-1 loss to the Crimson Tide on Wednesday night. Finishing the week at 0-2, the Highlanders have now dipped to 1-7 overall.

“We got a little nervous,” said coach Lauren Poussard. “We got off to a great start, but we stopped talking. We need to work on our communication out on the court.”

In the loss to Everett, the Highlanders established a 25-19 victory in the first game, the Highlanders struggled in the final three games, losing 25-16, 25-18 and 25-22.

Led by Nicole Genard, the Highlanders established an early 12-6 lead as Genard served up eight consecutive points. With a 19-12 lead in hand, the Highlanders staved off a Crimson Tide comeback to maintain a 20-16 lead before sealing the win following a time out.

In the second game, both teams battled to a 5-5 tie before middle hitter Jennifer Bathol established a 5-0 run, giving the Highlanders a 15-10 lead. Capitalizing on unforced errors, the Crimson Tide engineered a surge and grabbed a 13-12 lead before creating a run on service points for the win.

“We had some great serves, and blocks, but we just couldn’t put it all together,” said Poussard. “We played well at times, but we need to be a little more consistent.”

Capitalizing on numerous unforced errors, the Tide delivered a solid lead in game three and never looked back unto the win. After the Highlanders battled to a 14-14 tie, the Crimson Tide recovered and finished the game on an 11-4 run to take a 2-1 lead.

In the fourth game, service and unforced errors continued to doom the Highlanders as the Crimson Tide established a sizeable lead. Facing a 20-12 deficit, the Highlanders emerged on a furious run, trimming the lead to 24-22 before the Crimson served out the final point for the win.

Key performances in the win included Genard, who recorded 12 kills and 17 service points while Lorenza Etienne added five kills. Also contributing was Bathol, who recorded three blocks along with Zhanea Nicholson added three digs.

The Highlanders regrouped on Tuesday in a non-league match against Matignon.