Vandal Girls Improving on the Volleyball Court

“The girls are playing very good defense across the board, improving fast and learning a lot,” Eureka girls volleyball coach Katie Benson said. “That is always a good sign. And the girls did especially well in Jackpot this past week. Have to be happy with what we are doing so far.”

The Lady Vandals recorded two match wins, Sept. 18 at home, 3-0 over Carlin, and another 3-0 win at Jackpot on Saturday.

Benson said at Jackpot, “We trailed by 11 points in the third set. Isabella Minoletti came up as the server and rallied the team. And Josie Hoekenga, our setter, was the emotional leader on the floor in that critical comeback.

Scores in the match were 25-21, 25- 14 and 29-27.

The wins gave the Vandal girls a four-match win streak as they slowly work back to .500 ball with a current 6-9, 2-0 record.

The girls play in Carlin this Friday for a quick turnaround in league play, then travel on to Owyhee Saturday for the first league match with the league leading Braves (11-2, 2-0).

Benson said expects the Owyhee match “will be a tough one. It’s always hard to tell with them.”

The Braves are riding a sevengame win streak and do have a history of good, scrappy defenses. “When the ball keeps coming back over and back over, it can be kind of difficult,” she said.

The Vandals lost 3-0 to the Braves at the Battle Mountain tournament August 30 which was the first loss to the Braves in two years.

In the current 1A Central standings, Smith Valley, Coleville and Tonopah are the leaders after the first weekend of league play. Sierra Lutheran is the early leader in the 1A West. Beaver Dam leads the 1A South, but league play doesn’t really begin until this weekend.