Patience

One thing you must have with this team that you really didn't need for the last few years is patience. You must wait a little longer for the point. The point is nearly as inevitable as it was, but it doesn't come as quickly. That's what happens when hitters like Faith R, Taylor, Holly and Lauren leave, and defensive aces Kaylie, Cassie, and Amanda arrive. The team is also patient. They work hard until they earn the point. They don't seem to be disappointed when the point doesn't end quickly, they just keep working. It's different, but it's still fun.

Tonight the Covenant Christian Knights came to Dyer for only our second home game. As long as I have been with the program, we have not lost to Covenant. The streak is intact after a 25-14, 25-20, 25-12 win, the fifteenth win of the year for the Patriots against only two losses.

The girls marched out to an early 8-1 lead in the first set behind two kills by Faith, a block and kill by Ally and an ace by Cassie. Covenant then stepped up their hitting which slowed Calumet a bit, but after back-to-back kills by Stephanie and Ally, CCS led by 10. We got a little sloppy and allowed Covenant to get to within seven, but kills by Mandi and Olivia followed by consecutive aces by Lee pushed the lead back to double-digits. The lead stayed about ten the rest of the game, finishing on a bad dink by the Knights.

The teams stayed neck-and-neck through most of game two. Both teams made a lot of unforced errors, primarily hitting errors by us and passing errors by the Knights. We really had a hard time hitting outside againt Covenant as they were blocking well. Neither team led by more than two until at 19-19, Calumet scored five in a row, culminated by a kill from Faith. One point later, on ball put over on the first hit, CCS was up two sets to none.

It was close early again in the third set, though not as close as set two. Calumet got an early four-point lead 8-4, after an ace by Kaylie and a kill by Ally. The gap didn't vary much until at 12-9, the Patriots ran off three straight, then a bit later seven straight, highlighted by a nice block from Ally and Lee (who was WAY off the ground). That made it 23-11. Faith, who about the middle of the second set started finding the holes, got a kill to put Calumet within one, then after an error, Ally put one down to end it.

Hebron Thursday, Faith Friday, and Tippecanoe Valley tournament Saturday. If I didn't blog tonight, I would have been too far behind to ever catch up.

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