Leesville Road volleyball
The Leesville Road volleyball team pushed Green Hope in the second set Tuesday night, but the Pride weren't able to pull out the victory, losing 3-0. Leesville's next game is at Apex Aug. 26.
Pride volleyball shows 'flashes'
With two games under its belt, the Leesville Road volleyball team has shown flashes of its potential, coach Taine Mergenthaler explained Tuesday night.
But unfortunately for the first-year coach and the Pride, victories have eluded them so far.
Following Tuesday' 3-0 loss to Green Hope, Mergenthaler discussed with a nearby parent what he witnessed from the bench.
"You can see it in their eyes, they want it," he said. "But in that last game, we were up what 8-4, and they were like 'Wow! We're not supposed to be winning. This is a good team.' And they got nervous."
While Leesville Road pushed Green Hope at times, the Pride couldn't pull out any sets, losing 25-14, 25-22 and 25-14.
The second set was the Pride's most inspired, battling back from a 11-4 deficit and making the Lady Falcons sweat late. The turning point was a long volley capped by Leesville Road freshman Katie Stammen's score.
Stammen later added an ace, pulling the Pride with two, 22-20, and Dany Rube hit a beautiful shot from out of bounds to keep Leesville close, 24-22. But Green Hope's Christina Vucich — approximately 6-foot-2, but she looked bigger — spiked the ball, sealing the match.
Despite trailing 2-0 in the match, Leesville Road came out in the third set and raced to a 7-2 advantage. But its momentum petered out, and Green Hope rallied back, took a 10-9 lead and never looked back.
Throughout the match, Leesville Road played hard, with Thalia Saint-Lot making several digs to preserve the volley.
Sasha Karelov and Stammen also showed poise while serving.
"We show flashes of a lot of good things, but it's just a matter of consistency," the coach said later. "We have to give ourselves a chance to win. And I've told them, I don't mind getting beat, but I hate losing."
One of the positive flashes Mergenthaler pointed out was his squad's service game, which entering the season, needed work.
"The girls have really come along with their serving because that is something we have had to focus on in practice," he said. "They gotten better already."
Mergenthaler likes that his younger players, who played on an undefeated in middle school, have shown a great desire to maintain their success on the high school level.
"You can see that they have that fire," he said. "But the rest of the team hasn't had that success, and we have to get over the hurdle. But I know we will."
With eight days between Monday's loss and the Pride's next match at Apex Aug. 26, Mergenthaler and the Pride have a chance to reorganize and recharge before Cap-7 Conference play begins the following week.
Members of the Pride's volleyball team clap during the pre-game introductions Tuesday.
