Lady Broncos take steps toward State at District Tournament

The Lady Broncos began their journey towards qualifying for the State tournament with a game at Liberty and two district tournament matches at Northwest Christian.

The team started the week in defeat after losing a match against Liberty on Tuesday, Oct. 25 with set scores of 21-25, 17-25 and 13-25.

Head Coach Cari Galbreath said the match proved to be frustrating because both teams shared similar skill levels.

Their defensive game proved to be weak as they consistently allowed their opponents to take advantage of them at the net by failing to block, said Galbreath.

Tessa Jantz and Peyton Curtis were the only players to claim a block with one each for their team.

By remaining hesitant to dive for balls, Liberty gained confidence with their consistent scoring. The teams had some good rallies but unfortunately failed to finish them, Galbreath said.

Jantz struck the ball with power and led the team in kills with three.

Lacey Miller set her teammates up for kills in an attempt to even the score. She had the most assists of the team with seven.

Jantz and Rachel Schell had one ace each for the team.

The team’s loss against Liberty sent them to Spokane to compete against St. George’s in the District Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 29 at Northwest Christian.

The first match set started out rough as the team’s tournament nerves had not completely subsided, Galbreath explained.

Despite the lack of confidence, the Lady Broncos forced St. George’s to earn the win and had excellent rallies.

Consistently providing precise passes, Miller led the team in assists with 27.

The Lady Broncos suffered a close loss in the first set with the score 21-25.

Curtis and Jantz were both quick to the net to provide powerful hits.

Jantz claimed 15 kills for the Lady Broncos and Curtis had 11.

The team did not allow the loss of the first set to affect their mental game, said Galbreath.

Emma Aldrich and Miller had a strong defensive mindset and remained low and focused. Miller claimed five digs for the Lady Broncos and Aldrich trailed close behind with 4.

Jantz also showcased skill at the net and led the team in blocks with two.

The team won the second and third sets with scores of 25-16 and 25-22.

During the fourth set the player’s communicated well and had strong rallies. They also showcased precise serving against St. George’s. Tessa O’Brien led the team in aces with two.

The Lady Broncos won the set with the score 25-18.

“We were in a low spot and I’m glad we were able to overcome,” said Galbreath while describing the team’s impressive come back.

The win allowed the Lady Broncos to play Northwest Christian in their final match of the day.

The team seemed to be mentally and physically exhausted from a day of traveling and playing volleyball, Galbreath explained.

The lack of energy from the Lady Broncos allowed their opponents to win the first set quickly with a score of 25-15.The second set began with what seemed to be a different team on the court as the players showcased their advanced skill level, said Galbreath.

Miller remained focused in passing and shined in her position as setter. She had the most assists for the Lady Broncos with 19.

Curtis led the Lady Broncos in kills with nine and Jantz had six.

With hopes of another comeback, they claimed victory during the second set which resulted in the score 25-16.

The team’s defensive game continued to remain strong and proved to be the team’s advantage. However, they were not consistent in blocking their opponent’s hits at the net.

Curtis was the only one to claim a block for the Lady Broncos with one.

Aldrich led the team in digs with five and Kierstin Witt had three.

Jantz and Aldrich claimed the only aces for the team with two each.

The team did not have much fight left in them by the end of the third and fourth sets and accepted defeat from Northwest Christian with set scores 20-25 and 16-25.

Despite their loss, Galbreath remains impressed with the player’s perseverance.

The team traveled to Reardan on Tuesday, Nov. 1 to face Kettle Falls. If they won the match, the Lady Broncos would face Springdale at 7 p.m. that night.