August 23 – 25
Courtesy of JV Volleyball Coach
Shoutouts:
All-tournament team: River Smelcer
(This award is voted on by all the coaches)
Weekend Team Accomplishments:
Bucs’ Top Server: Eeva Tiura
Bucs’ Top Attacker: Savannah Barton
Bucs’ Top Blocker: River Smelcer
Bucs’ Top Passer: Savannah Barton and Laela Scott
This past weekend the Lady Bucs Volleyball team traveled to Fairbanks to compete in the Monroe Catholic JV Volleyball Tournament. Other contestants facing off at the tournament were the West Valley Wolfpack (JV and C teams), the Hutchison Hawks, the North Pole Patriots, Lathrop Malemutes, and the hometown Monroe Catholic Rams.
On Friday the tournament started out in pool play where each team played a single set to 20 against four other opponents. Based on the win/loss records, the double elimination bracket on Saturday was determined. Friday was a rough start for the Buccaneers with a 0-4 record placing us in 6th overall for the following day. However each set held some shining moments, and Saturday was a whole new ball game for the Bucs.
Starting out for the Lady Bucs in our first set against the North Pole Patriots on Friday were Parker King (S), Eeva Tiura (DS, OH), Laken Unger (MH), River Smelcer (S, RSH), Savannah Barton (DS, OH), and Laela Scott (DS). Coming in off the bench for this set were Whitney Major (MH) and Ava Mitchell (DS). A perfect pass from Barton to King culminated in a middle attack and kill by Unger! The Patriots took the set 16 (Bucs) – 20 (Patriots).
Our next set was against West Valley C. This time we had some new faces on the floor. Joining King, Tiura, Smelcer, Barton, and Scott, were Cersei Strickland (MH), Jezelle Eskilida (OH), Olivia Marchant (MH), and Harper Ownbey (RSH). In this set the Bucs were able to orchestrate more offensive attacks by Tiura, Smelcer, Strickland, and Eskilida. Smelcer dished out a wicked, left-handed right side attack that West Valley was not able to touch. Points went back and forth, but ultimately the Wolfpack C team took the victory 15 – 20.
Monroe Rams faced us in our third set of Friday night. This was our most offensively aggressive set of the evening, with 10 overall attacks from the front row. Tiura stood out as an error free server in this set, which helped us keep momentum against the Rams offense, and Major scooped up on her first block of the season. Another close game with the Bucs falling short, 16 – 20 in favor of the Rams.
The night ended for us competing West Valley JV, who ultimately went into the Saturday bracket seated #1. The Wolfpack’s strong serving was a game-changing obstacle for the Bucs making it difficult to put up a playable ball much less a clean attack. The Wolfpack swept up with a 6 – 20 victory and placing the Bucs in 6th for the Saturday competition.
Our second day of tournament play was exciting! Every game was a battle. We kicked off the morning facing off with the Patriots once more. North Pole knocked the Bucs into the losers bracket in two close battles (15-20 and in overtime 19-21) but not without the Bucs aggressively working the net with attacks. From here on out the Bucs would need to win to keep playing, and the girls weren’t calling it quits.
Our second match of the day was against the Lathrop Malemutes. Lathrop came out strong and defeated the Bucs in the first set (12-20), but in the second set the Bucs got down and dirty scraping up incredible saves which led to overall points. Point by point the Bucs earned back set 2, winning 20-17. Tremendous serving by Tiura helped lead the team to a match victory against Lathrop (15-6).
Hutchison was our third opponent on Saturday. Between the team’s consistent serving, controlled passing, and Barton coming alive from the back and front row with attacks, the team snapped up the first set win (20-15). Hutch did not back down in the next set. The Bucs and Hawks exchanged point for point the entire game, but it was the Buccaneer’s aggressive attacking at the net by Barton, Major, Smelcer, Tiura, and King that really forced the Hawks to take a defensive stance. The Bucs came out on top in a nail-biting victory (21-19), set and match.
Still clawing our way through the loser’s bracket, the Bucs now faced the Rams once more. In the first set it was apparent the Bucs were becoming tanked on energy. They were scrambling for balls and having more drops than they had the entire tournament. Also, though they were continuing to try to set up attacks, the hits just weren’t falling. The first set was a steep loss (11-20), but the Bucs dug deep and turned our last set of the night into an intense game to the brutal end. Unger and Barton threw up steady attacks. Tiura had a long stretch of serving that changed the momentum of the game, and Olivia Marchant came in at the very end of the set to make two excellent serves when the Bucs needed them most. The Rams came out on top with an 18 – 20 victory, but the Valdez Buccaneers could hold their heads high after a grueling day of aggressive volleyball.
Huge growth this weekend! Way to go Bucs!
