Last Thursday, September 19th, the Sahuaro Cougars played the Desert Christian Eagles in a close volleyball match – ending in a disappointing loss for the Cougars. Even though the game was played at home, Desert Christian’s fans showed out, and the away section was packed fuller than the Cougar Cage.
According to the team’s head coach, Mr. Haynes, the team (and coaching staff) “…felt that this was going to be an ‘easy win’ and Desert came in with a solid game plan and beat us.” The Cougars started off playing well and even won the first set with a score of 25-18. The last rally set the stage for the back-and-forth match that this game would be.
Set two began with many miscommunications for both teams, giving a visual into the little mistakes that eventually made the game what it was. Throughout the second set, both teams had times where they would catch some momentum, but then come up tied. The Eagles took the second set with a score of 25-23.
From a spectator’s perspective, the third set of the match was very exciting to watch. Montana Poe and Gianna Buxenbaum starred in this set, with Poe showing off her blocking and hitting abilities, and Buxenbaum displaying how well she could change on the fly, specifically in one set of plays that was very exciting for the team and Sahuaro fans. Buxenbaum said that in the play, “The ball was passed, I think the other side swung at it, and the ball was tight. So I got up and I set it with one hand. I wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to be there and then she ended up getting the swing and getting a kill.” Poe further explained, “It’s what they call a quick, so usually we don’t do that because the passes are never really at the net, so it was really good.”
Montana Poe is a senior “most known for her blocks” according to Buxenbaum. Poe shared, “When you get a block and hit, it really picks up the pace of things and everyone on the team picks up on that energy, and we’re feeding on the energy of getting two points in a row.”
After two tough set losses, the Cougars started to make a comeback in the fourth set. Coach Haynes, said, “I feel as though during the 4th set our girls played the way they are capable. Natalyn Howell came alive during the end of the 3rd set and the 4th set. She showed her senior leadership and finished the match with 11 kills.”
With the sets tied up 2-2, the last one made the entire game. Unfortunately, the Cougars could not maintain the same momentum they had in the 4th set. The Cougars lost 12-15, and according to Coach Haynes, the team “didn’t play to their potential.”
In the coming weeks, the Sahuaro Varsity Volleyball team will look to take it “one set, one point at a time,” as Coach Haynes claims.
