Déjà vu for junior spikers

Jeff Rajala is experiencing déjà vu.
In each of his two years at the helm of the Muskie junior girls’ volleyball squad, Rajala has seen his charges compete well against the Kenora Broncos and struggle mightily against the Dryden Eagles—the latter being widely recognized as the class of the NorWOSSA circuit.
And that pattern already has reared its ugly head this season.
Following a strong four-set victory over the Broncos in their season-opener here last Tuesday (Dec. 5), the black-and-gold came crashing back to Earth two days later in Dryden.
The powerhouse Eagles easily won the best-of-five match in straight sets (25-13, 25-4, and 25-15) to leave the Muskies at 1-1 on the season.
“This is the reality we face,” Rajala remarked. “We compete with the Broncos and chase the Eagles all season.”
While none of the scores were particularly encouraging for the Muskies, the 25-4 one in the second set is bound to raise an eyebrow or two within the volleyball community.
“We did not match up well with the lineup they had on the court,” Rajala explained. “We saw what is probably their starting lineup while [we] had a mix of first- and second-year players.”
“I did not make many substitutions during the set because I treated it as an education for us,” he added. “I wanted my first-year players to realize the calibre of their opponents.
“We are still learning to work together,” Rajala stressed. “The girls need to know that no matter who they face, they can dig deep within themselves and find the energy to meet the challenge.”
The juniors won’t have to wait very long for another crack at their Dryden rivals as the two teams will clash here tomorrow (Dec. 14) starting at 3:30 p.m.