| Samantha Madrid nails a backrow spike during the second match of the Wendover game. East Carbon split with the Lady Wildcats during the homecoming face-off, winning the first match and losing the second. |
The East Carbon Lady Vikings welcomed the Wendover Wildcats to their gymnasium Tuesday night for some 1-A volleyball action.
The Vikings split with Wendover in front of a homecoming crowd, which had gathered for the crowning between matches.
Team member Kecia Vigil, a senior, was crowned homecoming queen during the break. Her crown sat the bench during the volleyball action, though.
East Carbon dominated the first match, winning in four games. The final scores were 25-20, 25-23, 21-25 and 25-19.
However, with the crowning and the junior varsity game breaking up the varsity competition, the players had a lot of time and activity to distract them. Coaches Alisa Preston and Ryan Hepworth said the gap caused the girls to lose their focus.
“They came off an emotional high from the first match,” Hepworth commented. “They lost that momentum in-between.”
East Carbon lost the second match in three straight games.
Wendover came out strong in the first game of the second match, beating East Carbon decidedly, 12-25.
A substantial Wildcat lead in the second game failed to rattle the Vikings. Behind the service of Samantha Madrid, Carbon rallied back to keep the score close through the teens.
But, Wendover was able to squeak by 24-26, winning on a Viking return that landed out of the Wildcat court.
Wendover completed the sweep in the third match, despite the best efforts of the loud crowd to boost East Carbon.
The match ended with a final game score of 20-25.
According to Preston, the players are not working together cohesively and it is causing some problems on the court.
“If I can get them to work as a team, like they did in the first match, they do just fine,” Preston stated.
Both coaches said the lack of teamwork will be addressed in practice.
East Carbon will face Meridan away Sept. 23.