The Whitewater Volleyball team lost to Jefferson in 5 sets (25-18, 24-26, 25-23, 24-26, 10-15) on Thursday, September 14. Coach Mary Kilar stated, “I felt like we came out and played solidly and were in control of the match through the first couple sets. Our defense was solid and we passed well for most of the match. We have to begin to finish teams in 3 or 4 sets, because going to a 5th set to 15 points becomes anyone’s game. I was definitely pleased with our energy and commitment to each other tonight. Unfortunately, when games get tight we still resort to playing with the “not to lose” mentality, versus a “play to win” mentality. That confidence has to develop. As I told them in the huddle, I felt they battled. We just need to work on closing out matches early, and playing with confidence. We look forward to playing everyone in the conference two times, so these tight battles will hopefully fall our way soon. As always this is a team that will get back in the gym and fight hard to get better every contact. That hard work will eventually pay off with some solid wins.”
“I feel we are starting to see some great leadership on both offense and defense. We are definitely a strong defensive team, and our backcourt of Ella Spear, Ava Alvarado, Calli Grosinske, Zoe Kohl, and Falyn Krahn keep us battling in matches. Spear led the team in digs with 23 and tied with a team high 4 aces. Krahn added 12 digs, 7 kills, and 4 aces, and Kohl posted 15 digs and 3 aces. Emmanuella Mbifi and Meg Roselle got their hands on a ton of balls while blocking tonight, each posting 2 blocks a piece. This is exciting to see develop. Marina Linos led with a great team attitude, dishing out 19 assists, 7 digs, 2 blocks, and 3 aces. Calli Grosinske works hard to see open shots and make solid shot selections from both front and back court. She posted another double-double with 16 kills and 20 digs, 2 aces, and 1 block.”
“Tough losses like this can make or break teams, but as I told them tonight there is nothing to hang their heads about. Some calls did not go our way, and some great saves fell short. We need to keep our positive attitude because we are a good team, and if we keep working hard, the wins will come.”
Article Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
