NEW MADISON – The Tri-Village volleyball team dropped a 3-1 match to visiting Bethel but not before showing a little heart in the end.
The opening game saw the Patriots open up a 17-11 lead only to see Bethel go up 20-19, and from there the Bees closed out the first game with a 25-21 win.
Bethel went up 6-4 in the second game before Alanna Holsapple got the hot hand serving as the Patriots scored five straight to go up 9-4, prompting the Bees’ coach to call a timeout.
Out of the timeout the Bees broke service and regained the lead, 10-9.
TV freshman Lucie Morris then served five straight points on her turn, and with the PATS up 15-10 the Bees needed another timeout. This time the Patriots didn’t falter as Morris continued her hot service for a few more points.
The Patriots went on to win game two 25-17.
In the third game, good service was again the key for the Patriots with Holsapple delivering to send the PATS up 10-7.
Tri-Village went up 14-8 … but then lost focus with a couple of mishits and miscommunication, allowing Bethel to close the gap and retake the lead 15-14 before a TV timeout. The run continued for Bethel with TV finally breaking them at 19.
The PATS rallied back to get within a point, trailing 23-22, with Bethel trying to regroup.
Tri-Village served out of the timeout a long deep hard ball that was returned low and hard well below the top of the net. The Patriots began to celebrate what they surely thought was going to be a point … but Bethel didn’t give up on the ball as it dropped out of the net and popped it up in play and then placed it to an open spot on the floor due to the Patriots celebration.
Bethel won the next point to take game three 25-22.
“It’s one of those mistakes that can’t happen, and it’s unfortunate,” Tri-Village volleyball coach Chris Brewer said on the point scored off the TV celebration.
“I feel like if we win that point we win the game. We had the momentum … it’s the little mental mistakes that hurt, and unfortunately it’s happened before even in practice where we get out-hustled and quit before the play is over … I guarantee it won’t happen again,” Brewer said.
In the fourth game Bethel jumped out to a 19-4 lead and it looked like the PATS were throwing in the towel … but Brewer, a constant voice and cheerleader on the bench, didn’t quit on his girls and kept pushing them to play until the end.
That push was enough for the Patriots to rally before dropping game four by the score of 25-16 and the match to Bethel.
“Tonight our girls didn’t quit. We talk about that in practice … earlier in the year we would have gave up … but the girls fought ’til the end. We are trying to break bad habits and build confidence. We don’t have a vocal leader on the floor so I try to be the biggest cheerleader and push from the side, and if that is what I need to do, I will,” Brewer said.
“I feel like we have come a long way and have a lot of things to work on … but the good thing is those things worked on from Tuesday night’s game in practice we did better on them today, and I’m really happy about that,” Brewer added.
“We have good athletes … but I don’t think many consider themselves volleyball players … either they are basketball players, softball players or track athletes, so getting them to want to be volleyball players is what I’m working on. I sort of wish I had them the last couple of years, especially our seniors, and we would be in a lot different situation then we are right now,” Brewer said.
“One of these days we are going to put it all together for three games. I know we can do it. The girls just have to believe they can do it,” Brewer concluded.
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