Thursday evening, the RM Varsity girls suffered a tough loss of 3-0 at the home of their old rivals Churchill.
Rockets volleyball has had a tough history with Churchill in recent years, including a tournament in which RM lost by just a few points. “I think we’re the underdogs coming in because Churchill has had a strong season.” Coach Gretchen Barber-Strunk noted.
However the Varsity girls had yet to give up and were determined to take home the win. “This year we have a really big hitter, so hopefully we can utilize that and just play our game, play a good defense, pick up their balls, and play well.” said junior Brooke Richman.
Churchill started off with a heavy lead, almost immediately into the match. Despite starting what appeared to be a comeback a few times, the set ended with a score of 25-16 for Churchill. Coach Gretchen Barber-Strunk commented about how the huge loss of the first set was unexpected. “[T]he struggle to find our place made a difference,” she explained.
However, the RM girls went back to the court for the second set prepared, and with their spirits and enthusiasm high. Churchill claimed the first two points, but on the next point #15 freshman Layla Rogers moved in and delivered her signature spike. Rogers was successful twice more, rendering the receiver helpless and bringing the score up to 5-4, before tying the game at 6-6. “My strongest points were hitting,” Rogers reflected later, “I was able to hit down and find open areas to score.”
The powerful spikes in the second set motivated the entire team and audience. The RM side of the gym were scattered with shouts of “You’re still in this RM!” and thunderous applause, as the Varsity girls continued to play on with new energy. Despite their momentum, they were unable to score on the same level as Churchill, and ended up losing the set 25-20. However the loss of the set came at much smaller difference than the first.
The true battle was during the third set. Churchill scored the first point again, but RM came back with two and then three more points. They soon tied at 10-10, before Churchill began to pull ahead. However, RM became more aggressive, with impressive hits and saves. The score became 22-20, 23-21, and then 24-22.
Finally, Churchill delivered a winning hit to the back corner of the court. The RM girls lost 25-22, and the game ended at 3 sets.
“I thought overall they played fairly strong, but the passes just weren’t there.” Coach Gretchen Barber-Strunk admitted. “That’s a make or break thing in volleyball. If you can’t get the ball to the setter, it’s hard to run an offense.”
The game may have ended with a difficult loss, but the team is determined to continue improving and beat Churchill next year. “Keep the energy up, go for every ball, don’t let anything drop. If there’s a ball miles away, still go for it. Never give up.” Rogers concluded.
