Slow starts sink senior spikers

There is one universal truth in tournament competition—seeding matters.
For most coaches, the ideal tournament performance involves his or her team improving steadily throughout the competition—culminating with their best performance in the championship game.
The easiest means of accomplishing this goal is to fare well in the round-robin portion of play, receive a high seed, and avoid facing another highly-ranked team for as long as possible.
The formula is irrefutable.
Underdog teams occasionally are able to produce an upset or two during tournament play, but they almost always end up “running out of gas.”
Such was the case for the Muskie senior girls’ volleyball team at the Santa Claus Classic in Dryden over the weekend.
The black-and-gold stumbled out of the blocks—losing in straight sets to the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints (Kenora) and Westgate Tigers (Thunder Bay) in their first two round-robin matches.
The Muskies were able to recover, winning their next three matches in straight sets over the Sioux Lookout Warriors, Hammarskjold Vikings (Thunder Bay), and the Dryden Eagles’ junior squad, but the damage was done.
The squad’s 3-2 record left them in a three-way tie for second place but they ended up in fourth place based on point differential—setting up a quarter-final match-up against the Red Lake Rams. The Muskies played an efficient match against the Rams, winning the best-of-three showdown in straight sets by scores of 25-21 and 25-17.
The victory would be bittersweet, though, as it meant the Muskies had to face a well-rested Eagles’ squad in the semi-finals.
The favoured Eagles did nothing to refute their lofty pre-tournament ranking, easily dispatching the Muskies in straight sets by scores of 25-8 and 25-14 en route to becoming the eventual tournament champs.
“We are continuing to work on consistency as a team both offensively and defensively,” head coach Duane Roen remarked.
“Our team has a lot of spirit, but at times we are getting frustrated over simple mistakes which we should not be making at this level.
“To add to the problems, several players are still dealing with the ’flu, which seems to be hanging on relentlessly.”
The setback marked the second time in three days that the Eagles emerged victorious over the Muskies, having beaten them 25-17, 25-17, and 25-19 in NorWOSSA action last Thursday (Dec. 7) in Dryden.
The Muskies will be looking to break through against Dryden tomorrow (Dec. 14) when they host those same Eagles in NorWOSSA action.
Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m.