The North Lake Lady Blazers had a challenging game against the Hill College Rebels on Sept. 13.
The Blazers started their home game with extensive warmups, practicing their hits and serves. The teams took turns serving and hitting to the opposing team while they returned the balls to the ball racks.
With music playing and everyone nodding their heads, the crowd drew in as the women set the engaging and entertaining atmosphere. To show good sportsmanship, both teams ran towards the net and lowered their hands to high-five one another before they took their positions on the court.
The Lady Blazers had a slow start against Hill, 1-4. Nevertheless, they continued to uplift one another. It was only the beginning.
The encouragement from teammates and the coaches ignited a fire under the Lady Blazers to increase the tempo of the game. The Lady Blazers scored 3 more points to bring the heat resulting in a score of 4-5 at the beginning of the first set.
As the game progressed, multiple failed attempts by the Lady Blazers to return the ball resulted in an unexpected downturn.
The Lady Blazers trailed behind Hill College in the second set with a score of 4-10. Consequently, Blazer’s head coach, Cathy Carter, called a timeout to talk to the players and give them some encouragement to continue the game.
Although the odds were not in their favor, the players on the bench kept the energy high as they cheered on their teammates. The players yelled chants to keep their team encouraged, clapped their hands, and reassured one another when they missed the ball.
The sportsmanship amongst the Lady Blazers kept the team afloat. Unfortunately, their momentum didn’t last long as the Rebels increased the pace of the game. The Lady Blazers rallied back and forth eight times before the Rebels got a kill and scored again. As the end of the second set approached the scoreboard read 5-15.
Despite the setback, the Lady Blazers exerted their energy to close the gap and bring the score to 12-17 during the second set. As the pressure rose, another timeout was called by Coach Carter as the scoreboard read 12-21. Locked into the game, Lady Blazers were able to get some kills under their belt. They fell short and ultimately lost with a final score of 18-25 to end the 2nd set.
After each set, the teams switched sides and began again. The Lady Blazers celebrated a moment of triumph, scoring a highlight point at 17-14 during the third set. With 2 of 4 wins, the Lady Blazers continued to play a final set. Although the results of the game were outside of the expectations, the Lady Blazers showcased their determination and skills to finish the game. The Lady Blazers fell short with a final score of 3-2.
