The women’s volleyball team quickly beat the Centennial Colts in straight sets on Nov. 20.
Though, the Colts made the Thunder work their first-set win.
The home team had a comfortable 18-11 lead, but the Colts rode a wave of momentum to tie it at 25 points apiece.
Still, the Thunder pulled off a 27-25 first-set victory, going onto win the match 3-0 in a straight-set sweep.
The Algonquin head coach, Everton Senior, said it was a mental lapse.
“We took our foot off the gas and that’s what happens,” said Senior. “Volleyball is one of the biggest momentum sports – as quick as you have momentum, you can lose it on just one play and sometimes it’s hard to get back.”
Despite 14 errors that night, the Thunder found their groove in the final two sets.
“You have to fight like it’s your last point of every set,” said third-year Victoria Waizmann. “If you have to dive for a ball – who cares if you get bruised. It would be worth it in the end. That’s the mentality you have to have at all times.”
Waizmann, who had 24 attacks that night, suggested the team’s strong point was the third set.
“We were running a lot more plays and hitting the ball harder,” said Waizmann.
“We grew as a team as the game went on.”
Head coach Everton Senior made the decision to rest some of his main starters and give bench players a bigger shot at experience, as the Colts will still seeking their first win.
“The more court time they can get the more comfortable they can be,” said Senior. “In a big game, we might be able to count on one of them.”
This is the case for second-year Krissy Berndt, who had played in four sets prior to the match against the Colts. She registered six attacks and a serving ace in the match.
Rookie Breanne Scheerhoorn, whose 69 kills lead the Thunder, thought the girls should have had a stronger outing.
“We were playing down to their level,” said Scheerhoorn.
“When we play a weaker team we will usually play weaker but what we have to do is play to our level and we should be able to win.”
The Thunder are now 6-2 on the season after the undefeated Canadore Panthers beat them on Nov. 21 in the Thunder’s first home court loss.