After recovering their form last week, the Falcon volleyball team was again looking for anything that worked this week.

Trying to get the best playoff spot they could, the South Whidbey girls found that their destiny was not in their hands as they lost matches Tuesday and Thursday. The losses drop the team to 4-4 in the North Cascades Conference and takes them into the Nov. 9 district tournament as the fifth seed.

Against Lynden Christian Tuesday, the Falcons had some fight in the road contest, but did not have what it took to win the close games in the 3-15, 12-15, 15-10, 9-15 match. Paced by Brianna Hussey’s 19 assists, Katy McGillen’s seven kills, and Mary Murphy’s five kills, the Falcons were able to stay close. But, said the team’s coach, Tim Durbin, they did not pass or play defense at the level needed to win against what he described as a “solid” team.

Returning home Thursday for the final game of the season, South Whidbey couldn’t even fall back on the wisdom of older players during the team’s senior recognition night. Against a springy and hard-hitting Nooksack team, the Falcons lost a quick 5-15, 12-15, 10-15 match. Statistics were not where the Falcons were strong in the match, with Hussey coming up with just 10 assists and Murphy leading in kills with six.

Long rallies typically ended by huge Nooksack hits punished the Falcons in the first game of the match. Though South Whidbey’s passing game came back a bit in the second game, the purple wall of big Pioneer players was too resilient in the long run.

District playoffs will be held at Meridian High School. The Falcons will likely play Mount Baker in the first round. The Falcons lost to the Mountaineers earlier this year.