Trading wins and losses is not how the Manitou Springs volleyball team plans on finishing out the year. The Mustangs (10-8 overall, 4-4 Tri-Peaks) got a three-set win at La Junta on Oct. 6 before returning home to be swept by James Irwin on Monday, Oct. 10.
The team is battling several issues: A key one has been players remaining healthy. Coach Crissy Leonhardt has had to adjust lineups to account for players who are missing spots of time because of some nagging issues.
A player like McKesson Rhodes hasn’t seen a lot of varsity time this year, but was on the floor for a lot of the 25-22, 28-26, 25-15 loss to the Jaguars.
While trying to figure out how this team will be shaping up when the postseason rolls around, Leonhardt is proud of the way Rhodes and others in similar spots have taken on the challenge of pushing this team forward.
“We need them to keep doing exactly what they’re doing,” Leonhardt said. “They’re doing a phenomenal job of stepping in and stepping up and really filling in that gap as best they can.”
Sometimes the results just don’t go in Manitou’s favor. With just five games remaining in the regular season, every contest had added importance.
The Mustangs are trying to figure out the elements of their game that have led to wins and trying to replicate those elements. A lot of times it seems to come down to the interaction as a team.
“When we get down on ourselves, our play dips down,” Teryn Thime said. “We have a lot of skill but sometimes we don’t work well as a team. Our communication is off at times.
Thime led the Mustangs with eight kills in the win over La Junta. That victory was an example of the Mustangs functioning well as a unit and it’s something they’ll try to keep consistent over the next few weeks.