Staff
The Muskie senior boys’ volleyball team isn’t fretting about having a bye to the NorWOSSA final or not.
And that’s just as well as it won’t know until tomorrow how the standings will play out.
The squad won its regular-season finale yesterday in Dryden–rallying from a two-set deficit to prevail 3-2 (set scores were 21-25, 22-25, 26-24, 25-14, and 15-4)–to finish with a 4-4 record.
If Kenora beats Dryden tomorrow, the Broncos will take top spot at 5-3–meaning the Muskies will have to face Dryden in the semi-final at the NorWOSSA playoffs next Tuesday (Nov. 7) in Kenora.
But if Dryden wins tomorrow, all three teams would be at 4-4–requiring a tie-breaker to determine which squad earns the bye and which two will play in the semi-final first.
“I’m fine with either outcome,” head coach Jason Cain said Monday in an e-mailed response to the Times.
“Locking up the bye is nice but it may mean you come out a little slower in the final without playing earlier that day,” he noted.
“I don’t think it has as big as an effect as let’s say basketball, where you may burns up your legs running in your first game.”
Cain conceded 4-4 is not the best record “but it will show both Dryden and Kenora that they can be beat, and that they cannot write us off going into NorWOSSA.”
“It also boosts the confidence for our guys knowing that they can beat these teams,” he added.
“The boys really dig in when they need to,” noted Cain. “You can expect some fast plays and big hits come NorWOSSA.
“As for NWOSSAA, if we make it, I believe you will see our team come out and continue to fire on all cylinders throughout the matches,” he said.
“OFSAA has been our goal all year and we plan on being there.”
Cain noted both Dryden and Kenora play the tipping game quite well–and play it very similar.
When it comes to big hitters, though, Dryden strikes from the left side and is beginning to attack from the right side, whereas Kenora focuses on using its middle attack.
“In each case, we try to slow down their big hitters with different blockers, and try to force their hits to our better passers,” Cain explained.
“Our serving game is one of our biggest assets against both teams,” he noted. “Our float serves, in combination of the new game ball we are using, can make us deadly if we serve well.
“It has allowed us to put our opponents out of [their] system, minimizing their chances for a big swing.”
The squad was coming off a 3-1 win over the Kenora Broncos here last Wednesday afternoon by set scores of 25-21, 25-23, 23-25, and 25-23.
“It was great to win our last home game of the season,” said Cain. “We had a great crowd of parents/relatives and the boys didn’t disappoint.
“We started off strong in all sets but a number of unforced errors on our side kept the score close,” he recalled.
Cain said the team was down one of its starters in Ben Smith against the Broncos but noted but the rest of the team really came through.
“It was nice to see the guys dig in their heels and fight for the win” he enthused.
“We are still working on our coverage both defensively and offensively at practice, and it is starting to show in game play,” Cain added.
“The win today [Wednesday] was great for us,” he stressed.
“It will keep us focused on coming out on top at the NorWOSSA finals.”
