ECVB traveled to Brownstown Central for their invitational. We went 2-2 on the day.
EC vs. Brownstown Central, lost 25-17 & 25-19.
We played hard, but we looked tired. We were a step behind the entire match. BC is a very disciplined team, so they put the pressure on us to earn our points because they won’t give up many due to errors. We did some things well, but can take a lot away from that loss.
EC vs. Cardinal Ritter, won 25-18, 25-14.
We started slow in this match also, but were able to pick it up and come out on top.
EC vs. Covenant Christian, won 25-21, 25-17.
Pool play lacked energy all the way around, and this game was no different. We were slow and really just went through the motions until we had no choice but to push. Luckily, they knew when to turn it on to force errors and find a way to score, but we have to be better at starting strong, especially at tournaments where we face better competition.
We finished second in our pool and crossed over to play Bloomington South. This match was much more exciting and fun to be a part of because the girls played with a lot of energy, emotion and determination. They wanted to avenge last year’s 2 point loss in set 3 and were well on the way of doing that, but our lack of experience led to a little bit of panic in a pressure situation, so the result was the same as last year- we lost by 2 in set 3.
EC vs. Bloomington South, lost 18-25, 25-17, 16-14.
After a long break, I wasn’t sure what to expect from them. We hadn’t played to our full potential all day, and if we repeated that against a potential sectional opponent, we could have been walked all over. However, the girls stepped up and brought their “A-Game.” We came out strong in all areas in set one. In set two, we made too many mental mistakes that ended up costing us the game. But they rebounded and put up a big fight in set three. We were up 14-11, but couldn’t hang on long enough to get that final point. Bloomington South ended the match on a 5-0 run to take the match.
All in all, it wasn’t the greatest tournament, but we ended on a strong note and hopefully proved to ourselves that we can play (and beat) our sectional opponents. We have a long way to go, but that match alone was a step in the right direction for this group.
Next up: tonight at EC vs Franklin County. Freshmen start at 5, JV following, then varsity. Varsity is now 7-4 on the season.
Courtesy of Trojans Coach Cassie Laker.