Jamie Mountain
The Muskie senior boys’ volleyball team was able to halt a frustrating five-match losing skid last week and now are planning to build off that momentum as they gear up for the stretch drive towards the NorWOSSA playoffs.
Fort High played well and saw its league record improve to 2-6 with a hard-fought 2-1 win over the visiting Dryden Eagles last Wednesday afternoon.
“The boys played much better defence and were really into the match,” lauded Muskie coach John Gibson on Friday.
After claiming a 25-22 decision in a back-and-forth first set, the Muskies dropped the second set by the same score to the Eagles (5-3).
Refusing to fold, and determined to not let their league losing streak stretch any further, the Muskies dug deep and pulled out a 25-22 win in the third-and-deciding set to nail down just their second win of the season.
“Even though we did win the match, we still aren’t reaching our potential,” Gibson conceded.
“We had too many missed serves and at least three unforced errors in each set due to a lack of communication.
“I was really happy with how effective our offence was when the passes were on point,” he added. “We saw some of the best hits of the season from Caleb [Allan] and Jaxon [Gartzke].”
The Muskies were slated to conclude the regular season at home yesterday afternoon against the Sioux Lookout Warriors (1-6), who they are battling for the third-and-final playoff spot in the ‘AA’ league.
Gibson knows a win over Sioux Lookout will go a long way to building momentum as his squad heads towards the NorWOSSA playoffs on Nov. 8 in Dryden.
“I’m hoping that we continue to reduce the number of unforced errors and keep attacking to earn points,” he remarked.
“A win on Tuesday will be great for our momentum heading into the playoffs. We know that if we shut down our opponents’ biggest hitters, anticipate tips and roll shots, and minimize our mistakes, we will be in great shape for Nov. 8.”
