Facing its biggest test of the season, the Manitou Springs girls volleyball came away with a 25-16, 25-18, 25-21 loss to Lamar on Sept. 20, but it was far from a discouraging match.
The Thunder is ranked No. 2 in the current CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings and although the Mustangs (6-6 overall, 2-2 Tri-Peaks) were unable to take a set, they played a very competitive match.
“I thought Lutheran was a good test, but this shows us what we need to work on,” coach Crissy Leonhardt said. “I’m happy that we got to play them earlier in the season.”
An early match against Lamar can provide a big boost for the team later in the year. As they look to trend upward, facing Lamar early in the league schedule could come as a blessing in disguise.
“We really saw what we can do with adjusting,” Ayla Flett said. “We noticed them swinging in consistent areas and we were able to adjust to that. Our energy and teamwork stayed up the whole time, which is important because we can’t get down on ourselves.”
The Mustangs battled through the three sets, holding leads at certain points, but just fell victim to making unforced errors.
A missed pass here and an off set there slowed down Manitou’s momentum and allowed the Thunder to leave town with a win. But those are all things that are correctible with two months left in the season.
“Practicing consistency is really important,” Flett said. “If we get that consistency then we’re getting a good pass, a good set and a good swing, and that can always lead to a win.”
The week wasn’t a total loss for Manitou; the Mustangs defeated Banning Lewis 3-0 on Sept. 13. Grace Allen led all hitters with nine kills, while Teryn Thime and Flett each added five. Thime also had five aces and Lily Glass ran the offense effectively with 11 assists.
The Mustangs have a heavy dose of league matches for the next month before getting back into tournament play to close out the regular season.
The Mustangs hit the road Thursday, Sept. 22, to take on Ellicott before hosting The Classical Academy in an important non-league match on Monday, Sept. 26.