On Saturday, Sept. 17, the Blackburn women’s volleyball team put on a dedicated display (1-12, 0-5 SLIAC) despite their losses to both Principia (5-4, 3-4 SLIAC) and Spalding (7-5, 1-2 SLIAC) at the Principia trimatch. Blackburn, Principia, Spalding and Westminster attended the event where each team played two matches against two teams. These matches were played best-of-three to 25 points (teams won by a two point margin).
The Beavers started the tournament facing off against the Spalding Golden Eagles. The two teams went back and forth throughout the majority of the three sets in a tension-filled game. One of the Beavers’ strong points was their defensive plays. Combined with the 21 digs from libero Marlee Lindstrom and the quick communication between team members through both visual and auditory cues, Blackburn trailed closely behind Spalding, never losing by more than eight points.
One of Blackburn’s weaknesses was failing to cover the entire court at all times. There were several points where glaring open spots were available, which allowed Spalding to score easily. Even though Blackburn managed to get the ball over the net, stronger communication regarding positioning could’ve assisted them in closing the point gap faster. The final scores from the sets were: 19-25 in the first, 17-25 in the second and 19-25 in the third.
The match against the Principia Panthers truly defined the Beavers’ ability to press forward. Although Blackburn seemed to let the pressure from the Panthers get to them in the first match, the Beavers nearly took the win in the second match and kept the score close in the third. Final scores were: 18-25 in the first, 25-27 in the second and 23-25 in the last set.
Compared to the match against Spalding, Blackburn’s offense managed to get three more kills for a total of 23 overall, but their defense really shined with 18 more digs for a total of 55. However, defensive technique cannot win a game alone. Principia managed to nearly double the amount of kills Blackburn made. Right side hitters Alanni Young and Delanie Casto made a valiant attempt to lead the team’s offense with their combined kills, but it was not enough to push ahead of the Panthers.
Although both matches ended in defeat, coach Jim Hunstein was proud of the progress the team made. He clarified that the goal across the board is to improve as players and as a team rather than focus on taking home the win. He was especially impressed with their tenacity throughout the match. “Once these girls hit the court, they just keep going no matter how tiring the match gets,” he said.