It’s been a tough start times two for the Oak Harbor High School volleyball team.

First, the Wildcats faced a tough team, Ferndale, Tuesday, Sept. 9, in a rematch of the two teams that squared off for the district title last fall.

The Golden Eagles, who return most of their 2013 squad and are ranked seventh in the Seattle Times’ 3A state poll, prevailed again by the same 3-1 score (25-15, 25-13, 24-26, 25-18).

Next, Oak Harbor suffered a tough-to-take 3-2 loss to visiting Marysville-Pilchuck Thursday, Sept. 11. The Wildcats lost a lack-luster first game 25-14, then stormed back to take the next two, 25-22, 25-21. The Tomahawks (1-0) rebounded to grab the final two games, 25-22, 15-5.

Ferndale was “faster than the teams we faced at the jamboree,” coach Kerri Molitor said, and her team was slow to adjust.

Claire Anderson led the Wildcats with 19 kills and 11 digs. Natalie McVey chipped in with 15 assists and 11 digs, and Hailey Beecher recorded 11 assists.

Speed, again, was a problem against Marysville-Pilchuck, Molitor said.

“We have too many players playing at different speeds. We play fast and slow, fast and slow,” she said. “If we pick up the speed we will be okay. If we don’t, it will be a long season.”

The Wildcats need to be more disciplined, Molitor added, noting the many unforced errors that hurt her club in the M-P loss.

Oak Harbor grabbed up wins in the second and third games because it “started to make fewer errors and started to make betters passes, setting up the offense a little bit,” Molitor said.

In the decisive fifth game, kills by Anderson and Amelia Berner gave Oak Harbor a 2-1 lead. The Tomahawks then rattled off seven straight points to pull away.

Anderson finished with 17 kills, 19 digs and three aces. Hailee Blau had nine kills and Berner seven.

McVey dished out 19 assists and collected eight digs. Beecher had 17 assists.

AnnaBelle Whitefoot posted 11 digs, and Aubrey Lock had nine.

Oak Harbor (0-2) takes part in the 32-team SunDome Tournament in Yakima Saturday, Sept. 13. The Wildcats open play at 9 a.m. against Grandview.

The next regular-season match is 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, against visiting Lynnwood.