The senior boys Kings volleyball team at St. Augustine Catholic School is seeing success despite the program being in its early stages.
The Kings played the Pigeon Lake Panthers Monday, Oct. 29 and were unsure how the match was going to go after losing the first set 20-25. Coach Justin Florean said players had trouble making returns.
“They had a really good server. We just had a hard time returning it,” said Florean.
However, the Kings did not let the loss affect the rest of their sets and were able to rally in the second. Florean said he spoke with the players at the end of the first set and told them to work together in a team effort.
They kept their focus and had a strong lead at the beginning of the second set, which gave Florean some hope. “The team communication was a lot better in the second one.”
The third set was equally as strong with a 15-9 win against the Panthers. “We just rode the momentum from the second set,” said Florean.
The win gave the Kings a 2-0 record for the regular season and Florean says he wants to see continued improvement from his players. Two areas he feels they could do better are their court coverage and anticipating the plays.
The boys’ program is relatively new being in its third year and Florean feels the Kings show much promise.
“What I’ve gotten is nine guys that can play volleyball, we just need to refine,” he said.