The Algonquin Thunder women’s volleyball team did not get the two wins they were hoping for Jan. 16 and 17 when they confronted the Seneca Sting and the Georgian Grizzlies.
Algonquin lost all three straight sets against their long-time rival Seneca after a close-fought game Jan. 16. The team failed to gain the lead during all three sets and made some crucial mistakes that Seneca used to their advantage.
“We put a lot of pressure on ourselves,” said Serah Rounds-Zavitz, a second-year player. “I think that’s why we didn’t execute as well as we could have.”
The coach agreed that stress was the cause of the problem.
“We put too much pressure on ourselves,” said head coach Everton Senior, two-time OCAA Coach of the Year winner. “We thought it would be a winnable match.”
After a disappointing performance versus Seneca, the Thunder rolled back in on Saturday in hopes of a better result against the top team in the league, Georgian.
The Jan. 17 game began well when Algonquin won the first set 25-20. Frustrated with the loss of the first set, the Grizzlies were quick to regain the lead and won the next three sets, as well as the game.
Although Georgian won, Algonquin still put up a good fight against the strongest team in the league.
“Saturday was a very different game because we were playing a much stronger team,” said Senior. “We actually played two of our best sets of the season in my opinion.”
Consistency was an issue both games. Algonquin had some great kills however some equally dreadful mistakes were made.
“We are a very up-down team,” said captain Alixandra Burkart after the game. “We need to be more consistent.”
With the team having a rocky start to their season, believing in themselves and seeing their potential can be challenging.
“We get shaken. I would say that the passing and the defense was there,” said Rounds-Zavitz. “It’s just that we don’t necessarily believe in ourselves and that’s what gets us in trouble a lot.“
Senior has tried encouraging the girls and instills confidence in them during practices as well as time-outs.
“We need to not give up,” said Julianna Trebrake, a second-year player. “We need to not let one mistake ruin us.”
Looking ahead to the playoffs and the rest of the season the team remains positive that they can still pull through.
“As a team we really have a good momentum,” said Jazzmyn Barnett-Isaac, the team’s libero. “When we work together we really can achieve the dream.”