Ken Roberts
For The New Era
The Sweet Home volleyball team seemed to once again be poised for an upset in a Valco League match at home against Newport last Thursday.
But after a strong performance in the first game, culminating in a 25-22 win, the Huskies were unable to hold off the Cubs, losing the next three games 19-25, 24-26, and 23-25. The loss all but mathematically eliminated the Huskies from any chance to be one of the two league members to make it to the state playoffs. The Huskies are 2-5 and played at league-leading Central on Monday.
In the first game against Newport, after trailing close early, Sweet Home finally caught the Cubs at 13 and then retained a two- or three-point lead the rest of the way. The Huskies relied on both their own attack and Newport’s malfunctions to take command. Bre Messmer put the finishing touches to the victory with her two kills in the final three points of the game.
In game two, the Huskies lost their momentum and started out by misfiring on the first four points, a margin they could never overcome. An ace by Julie Burcham and a kill by Sara Brocard brought Sweet Home to within one point, but the Cubs then went on a six point binge, nearly all on balls hit into the net by the Huskies.
“When we win one, we come out thinking we’re going to win the next one,” said Tabby Trahan, who played a strong defensive game. “But if we don’t get a point early in the next game, we lose confidence and it goes downhill from there.”
Like game one, game three was a barnburner. The lead was exchanged or tied 22 times. At the very end, a Messmer kill accompanied by a Newport carry that took away their perfect tip gave the Huskies the lead at 24-23. However, Newport responded with a kill and then Sweet Home misplayed two balls that delivered a crushing blow to the Huskies.
“We are not mentally tough yet,” said coach Debbie Danielson. “That has to be something within the girls. You have to believe you are good to be good.”
Sweet Home had a difficult time recovering for game four and trailed early 12-7. Gradually, they drew to within one again on a bad Newport serve and another carry. Newport, however, took control of the net, using four kills to stretch the lead out to five points, 24-19. The Huskies, not ready to give in, put the scare in the Cubs as Michelle Cliver delivered two aces and Sara Brocard provided a kill. Leading now only by one, Newport attacked twice. The first was dug out by Cliver but the second found an open spot to give the Cubs the game and match.
Seaside Tournament
On the weekend, Sweet Home couldn’t match up to the outstanding competition in their pool play or their tournament bracket. The Huskies lost an 8 a.m. match to fifth-ranked Astoria, 12-25 and 10-25. In their second match, they were upended 16-25 and 9-25 by an ever-improving Sisters team, who went on to beat Astoria.
Sweet Home locked up with Marist in its final pool play action. After being dismantled 13-25, the Huskies came back with one of their strongest performances of the year to dump the Spartans 25-19. In that final game, the Huskies outkilled Marist 9-2. It didn’t start that way as the Huskies trailed 11-6, mostly on mishits at the net. Setters Amanda Basham and Julie Burcham locked in with Jessalyn Seiber, who delivered three kills, and Kami Walker and Sara Brocard, who each had a kill, to tie up the score.
From that point, the reenergized Huskies continued their onslaught with more good play at the net to gradually pull away.
Tabby Trahan, a defensive gem all week long, finished the game with a well-placed tip. Trahan, Cliver, and Sarah Rosa sparked the defensive effort with a number of great digs.
In tournament play, Sweet Home was paired up first with Banks, a team that they had lost to in a previous tournament.
The Huskies rode the momentum of the Marist contest to take an early 16-11 lead using the defensive effort of Trahan and Cliver again, along with a couple of aces from Cliver and two smart tips by Messmer. Banks came back to tie the game at 20, but a Basham block, plus two errors by the Braves cost them the game at 25-22.
The second game was a disaster. Nothing went right as Sweet Home was upended 25-10. The trend continued in the final game and the Huskies were sent home, losing 15-10.
“It should be the point where they are shining, not going backwards,” said Danielson, after contemplating the team’s tournament effort and looking ahead to the final five league games. “I’m going to play the kids that want to play, the ones that work the hardest.”
For a team that has eight seniors, the Huskies are going to have to some decisions to make as they prepare to put a positive note on the last third of the league season beginning with Philomath at home this Wednesday.
“All of us seniors have a role that we need to do,” said Trahan. “If we do that, maybe that will help us.”