Despite a hot start in the first set, Lady Spartans fall to Lafayette; will play for third tomorrow at 3 p.m.
November 8, 2019
The Spartans ace the first point of the match. Followed by a kill from senior outside hitter Olivia Green. Then another ace, and another kill, and another and another. The girls volleyball team leads the Lafayette Lancers 6-1 to start off their last game of the day strong. With the crowd cheering and the atmosphere fully energized, the Spartans look to capture their first win of the game this set. After three kills by Green in a matter of minutes, she saw this momentum as a possible turning point for the team.
“It was definitely nice, especially since we didn’t play as well as we could have against Nixa and Liberty in the first two games,” Green said.
Bouncing back from losing two prior matches is no easy feat. It can dampen morale and lead to easy mistakes, but sophomore libero Alexis Arnel believes that is what the team is best at: bouncing back.
“I think we did good at just like shaking off plays. Like we’re not letting the last play affect our other play,” Arnel explained.
Even after this trigger of momentum, the Spartans suffered another loss in the first set 25-18 and the second set 25-17. The Spartans hope to carry this attitude over to their game tomorrow competing for third place against Liberty at 3 pm.
“We just need to focus on having fun and kind of goofing off because I think we play a lot better when we just enjoy the game; not as tense and nervous as we were the first two games for sure,” Green said.
With the energy for this last game on point, both Green and Arnel agree the one thing that has to improve from today’s play in order to capture a third-place title tomorrow is passing.
“[For tomorrow] we need to have our passing. Passing is what starts the whole thing, and I mean you can’t have a good hit if don’t pass good and our passing wasn’t on point it normally is,” Arnel said.
Even after today’s’ series of highly competitive games that resulted in losses, the team made it. They are in the Final Four. They are grateful, ecstatic, and proud; no matter the outcome. After capturing the first conference championship in nine years, the first district championship in 12 years, the first sectional and quarterfinal wins in program history, and the first final four appearance in program history; nothing can beat just the opportunity to be here competing.
“It’s definitely been surreal,” Green explained. “Honestly, I didn’t think that we would make it this far, and I love being here. I love soaking it all in and then just like watching other teams play, watching good volleyball, it’s just so fun.”
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