The Federal Way Eagles volleyball dropped their fourth match in a row Sept. 25, falling to Mount Rainier 3-1.

“They’re getting better. (They) aren’t getting down when they’re losing. It’s getting better all the time,” said Head Coach Pat Licari.

At the start of the year, the Eagles got out to a quick 3-0 record. But the Rams made it tough on the Eagles, going to four sets for the fourth time this season.

“In the beginning we were fighting, our energy got down a little bit. But then we picked it back up at the end,” said senior Madison Mulipola.

Last season, the Rams were the number one team in the NPSL, and this season they have struggled out of the gate. Along with the Eagles, the Rams were searching for their first league win of the season.

Didi Muliaganotoa (Jr.) receives a serve from Mount Rainier. Ben Ray / The Mirror

“They were the best team in the league last year and they’re still tough,” said Licari.

In the first set, the two sides were neck and neck, being as close as 7-8. Mount Rainier went on a couple of short runs to extend their lead to 7-12 and 9-15 over the Eagles. Federal Way only got to 16 points in the first set, losing 25-16.

Federal Way bounced back for a second set victory, but it was a battle all the way through. Early on, the Eagles trailed 5-2 and 11-8, but were able to tie it up, 15-15. Both teams stayed right with each other, getting to 20-20, and the Eagles took the set 25-22.

“I feel like our mindset was just better in that second set. Overall, we were really just working as a team together. It really helped push us through. We were down a little bit, and we came back,” Mulipola said.

A big part in that set win was the Eagles feeding senior outside hitter Madison Mulipola in clutch situations, getting the Eagles going in the right direction.

“She’s just everywhere. She passes, hits and serves well for us. She’s always coaching her teammates up. She’s not super loud, but she is always talking with them and giving positive encouragement,” said Licari.

Mulipola gets her teammates in the right mindset: “I’m not a vocal person. I like to show it (leadership) through my actions, playing hard and stuff,” she said.

Eagle junior Sabrina Salavea keeps a play a live bumping the ball back to her teammates. Ben Ray / The Mirror

In the third and fourth sets, it seemed that Mount Rainier found the right recipe to take down the Eagles. In set three, it was all Rams, winning by the same score of set one, 25-16. In what turned out to be the final set, Mount Rainier scored 10 of the first 12 points. At two different points in the set, the Rams were on top of the Eagles by 10 points.

“I always tell myself that I’m going to make mistakes. As long as I learn how to fix them, I’m good. I help those people around me. It keeps me calm and confident in myself,” Mulipola said.

However, the Eagles closed the gap toward the end of the fourth set. Federal Way took Mount Rainier to four set points before eventually conceding the third set 25-20.

The Rams have been a thorn in the Eagles side in recent memory. Mount Rainier has now beaten Federal Way in six straight meetings dating back to 2016. League play is a whole other monster on its own. The Eagles have also not won a league match since Oct. 28, 2022.

Outside of NPSL play, the Eagles placed third in a 16 team tournament over Sept. 23-24. But in NPSL play they have played difficult teams and lost four in a row. The schedule will no doubt lighten up over the next couple games.

“We had to play the four best teams in a row so that made it tough. But finishing third in the tournament gave us some good energy,” Licari said.