The 14U Vipers learned a valuable lesson at the Eastside Juniors Tournament in Mentor on Sunday.
It’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters.
The ball bounced their opponents way in the three pool play matches but the Vipers picked themselves up off the court, dusted themselves off then put together the first winning streak in club history by winning both bracket play matches to win first place in the Bronze Bracket.
“It was so exciting to see the girls win their first couple of games this season,” Vipers coach Kalyn Ward said. “They truly played as a team and each one of them contributed to the game. The amount of energy they had throughout our bracket play made the game so fun to watch.”
The Vipers defeated Steel City (PA) and Moxie, a team that entered the tournament ranked higher in the Ohio Valley Region standings.
“This tournament, the girls figured out how to talk to each other out on the court and how that really does affect gameplay,” Ward said. “They were talking before, during, and after every play and the difference was huge. The players are very encouraging of each other and that makes it so much easier to play as a team and not individuals.”
It really was a team effort as each player contributed.
Briana Lew, the team’s usual libero, was asked to play all-around on Sunday and she stepped up to the challenge.
“She played very well in (front row and back row) on the court,” Ward said. “Not many coaches can say their libero can hit in the front row just as well as any other middle hitter and it was fun to watch her take on this new position.”
Ella Klingman and Audrey Fusci were especially dangerous at the service line.
“Audrey and Ella came out on top in the tournament with their killer serves,” Ward said. “The other teams had a hard time returning the ball and it led to both girls receiving several aces for the team.”
Isabella White and Seianna Coon put on a defensive clinic on Sunday.
“Bella was all over the court and had some amazing saves I’m still not even sure how she managed to get. She had some great sets that helped her teammates get some hits ending in points for our team,” Ward said. “Seianna was our team captain for this tournament and her leadership skills shined. Her encouragement and energy brought the team to the level they needed to be at.”
When it came passing, Kaylee Burns was on point and Kamryn Foutty got better as the day progressed, especially from the service line.
“Kaylee has that talent of always knowing where the ball is going before anyone else does. She had some passes that looked just about perfect and some great hits in the front row,” Ward said. “Kam was able to shake the nerves and served some great overhand serves, while also being an important member of our back row.”
The Vipers won’t have much time to bask in the glow of victory as they travel to Elyria on March 15 for the All-Pro Spirit Volleyball Club tournament.
Wards is confident the Vipers can build off of the momentum they created over the past weekend.
“Continuing into future tournaments, I hope the girls remember how it feels and what it looks like to be constantly moving and talking on the court,” she said. “Their constant positive energy and the way they encourage each other through the good and bad is really what keeps them moving forward and keeps their confidence high. I think now they can see how much potential they truly have.”
