Powering Through Adversity

These Tigers came into this game with high expectations for themselves and when faced with adversity they were unsure of where to go from there. It was the perfect set up for learning and growth! In the first set St. Paul came out with great serving, but even better defense. Their counters kept the Tigers on their heels and despite some awesome hustle plays – diving on the floor, tracking the ball, attempts to set – USN couldn’t go on an offensive run. The first set ended 14-25.

The second set was a lot closer and saw a more aggressive Tigers team. There were longer rallies, awesome serving, and strong passes! Despite the Tigers making a strong push for a third set, St. Paul played it one possession at a time and they were able to keep it close deep into the second set. As the end got closer Anna Brook and Alyvia Thompson each earned a spike/kill (is when a player’s attack is un-returnable by the opposition and is a direct cause of the opponent not returning the ball)! That energy carried over, but St. Paul kept their composure and faced the pressure head on. They were able to flip the score with back-to-back defensive plays and ended on strong serving. The Tigers fell in the second set 21-24.

Despite the loss, this was a great experience and an awesome game. The Tigers gave their best effort and they will continue to learn from their mistakes and from their opponents strengths. As the season progresses everyone will be able to enjoy seeing these student-athletes develop as volleyball players and as teammates! Keep up the great work! Let’s go Tigers!