Playing against Sylvan Lake Wednesday, Oct. 14 proved a challenge for the JV Broncs girls volleyball team who lost the match 3-2.
While most of the sets were relatively close, the fourth set loss of 25-14 showed the team lost some momentum, explained assistant coach Cam Black.
“They (Sylvan Lake) out-hustled us … our coverage around the court was a little weak,” said Black.
At one point during the set, the Broncs were down 11-16 and Black called a time out hoping to reinvigorate the team but Sylvan Lake was ready to pounce and scored another two points, which deflated the Broncs. “It was tough to come back from 18-11,” Black said.
During the second set, the teams kept up a steady back and forth of points with no clear winner in sight until the last six points. Sylvan Lake managed to benefit from some unforced errors on the part of the Broncs, which eventually earned them a 25-19 win over Ponoka.
Set four was not a true indication of the match as the Broncs made some important gains in other sets. The Broncs won 25-18 in the first set and 25-16 in the third with both teams appearing to flip-flop their strong plays over the course of the match. Black credits player Gracyn Bonnett for rallying the team at important points.
“She kind of invigorated the other girls,” said Black.
With the match tied at two sets each, the Broncs worked to capitalize on winning the last set but were stopped by Sylvan Lake who won 15-11.
“Credit to the other team,” said Black, “They were hustling and giving it their all.”
The JV Broncs played Monday night in Wetaskiwin but scores were not available at press time.