[Volleyball] Cavs drop four matches at Volley in the Mountains
MONTREAT, N.C. – The Cavaliers dropped all four matches this weekend as they hosted the 10th Annual Volley in the Mountains Tournament. "Volley in the Mountains is an opening tournament. It helps us see where we need to go and what we need to work on. It's always a learning experience," said Coach Kamer.
Match one vs. West Virginia State University (Fri.)
The NCAA DII Yellow Jackets came out strong in the first set, going on a 7-0 run before the Cavs caught their breath and cut the deficit in half at 4-8. The Jackets kept a steady, hefty lead to take the first set 25-16.
In the second set, the Cavs answered by scoring first, keeping the lead throughout most of the set, even being up 20-16 at one point. However, the Jackets took the lead at the end, winning the set by a small margin of two points, an improvement from the first set by the Cavs. "In the second set, we definitely played more as a team, stayed calm, and took care of the little things we needed to," said Coach Kamer.
The third set stayed close until the Jackets jumped out to an 18-8 lead and finished the set 25-15, taking the first match 3-0.
"I think with this being the first match, we did a pretty decent job. Obviously we are still young and had a lot of first game jitters. In the second set, at one point we were winning, so it's just learning how to finish," said Coach Kamer. "I think it's always good playing against harder teams, especially early in the season. It helps you grow mentally."
Match two vs. Indiana Tech (Fri.)
The Warriors dominated the Cavs in the first and second sets, winning them by 16 and 12 points, respectively. In the third set, the Cavs kept a steady lead until the Warriors went up 20-19. Even after they lost the lead, the Cavs stayed close behind, but just couldn't finish as Tech took the set 25-23, and the match 3-0.
Regarding what Coach Kamer saw from her team in the third set, she said, "We played with confidence. We played as a team. It's learning to calm our brains and play the game instead of thinking about every little thing that's going on, and just taking care of our side of the court."
Once again, the Cavs had a lead and almost won the set, but in order to finish those wins, they have to believe in the talent they have and minimize errors.
Match three vs. Asbury (Sat.)
The Cavs and Eagles seemed to be evenly matched as the first set went back and forth, neither team having a lead of more than a couple points, until Asbury went up 23-19 and finished it off 25-21. The Cavs suffered a loss of junior MB/RS Ila Elstein to injury in the first set. "Ila is a team leader, even if she doesn't realize it. The team feeds off of her and her energy and presence on the court. Losing her hurt us, but I think we tried to come back from it," said assistant coach Emily Wilhoit.
The second and third sets went against the trend of improvement as the Cavs lost by higher deficits in each remaining set.
Match four vs. Newberry (Sat.)
The Cavs' final match of Volley in the Mountains was by far their best, as they improved with each set (18-25, 21-25, 23-25). "We came in with a more hyped attitude. We were excited to play. I switched the lineup around, and I think that made a really big difference. Their attitude before the game and them taking the challenge of throwing the lineup together was a huge help in this match," said Coach Wilhoit.
The Cavs were without head coach Kristy Kamer in this match as she dealt with an injury suffered in warmups prior to the match against Asbury. Assistant coach Emily Wilhoit led the team for this match. "We missed Coach Kamer big time tonight, and I think we stepped it up and played this match for her," said Coach Wilhoit.
"Overall, we didn't have the outcome we wanted this weekend, but our improvement throughout the tournament was huge, and we've got several things to work on before we start our conference season," said Coach Wilhoit.
Up Next: The Cavs welcome the University of Northwestern Ohio to Montreat on Wed., Aug. 29 for a 6 p.m. start time.