FREMONT – The Lady Giant volleyball team got off to a slow start Monday night, but simply playing with more energy wasn’t going to cure all their ills. They had to play harder, but if they didn’t play smarter they weren’t going to win.
Jazmin Bulger, volleyball
The Lady Giants applied some of the lessons in volleyball IQ first-year coach Kari Shull has been instilling in them and were rewarded. Ross roared back after a slow start and took a 3-1 win over Clyde, winning by scores of 17-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-21.
“I think they did a better job tonight doing those little things we keep breaking down and working on in practice,” Shull said. “We keep talking about time and reps on the court and tonight they were able to execute more of them than not.”
After losing the first set, Ross needed a spark and the Lady Giants got it from senior Jazmin Bulger. The middle hitter tallied several blocks and registered a couple nice roll shots, to provide Ross with a level of energy it lacked in the first set.
“After I got the first two blocks, I was like ‘Ok, let’s go!’” Bulger said. “I just kept getting them which gave me more hype which gave me more intensity for our team.”
Bulger finished the match with eight kills and four blocks.
“She is a big spirit-lifter, a big hustler, lots of effort, easy-going” Shull said of Bulger. “The kids love her, they feed off of her. It’s really exciting to watch her play and see how much she’s grown over the season already.”
As the match went along, however, Ross found many of its powerful kill attempts being sent back over the net by blocks from the Clyde front row. The Lady Giants decided to change things up, by using numerous roll shots, tips and dumps, softly knocking the ball over the net and finding gaps in the Fliers’ defense.
Izzy Held, volleyball
“You got to take a different approach,” sophomore Izzy Held said. “You’ve got to be smart and use the different tools that you have. The tips are open, you just have to find the spots that are there.”
Held had one of the match’s biggest points. Clyde jumped off to an 8-3 lead in the fourth set. That’s when Held surprised everyone in the gym when, rather than setting up hitters Olivia DeRodes or AnneMarie Moses, she dumped the ball over the net to steal a point and take momentum from the Fliers.
“I was looking at the other side, seeing where the open spots were and I just thought ‘It might be a good time because the blockers aren’t ready, it’s there,’” Held said. “They’re not expecting it at all.”
Later in the set, Ross’ other setter, Aliza Quick took a turn. With the match tied at 16, Quick made a dump and snuck a point, the first in a three-point run and Ross never again trailed en route to the victory.
For Shull, who spent 45 minutes in practice the day before with her setters talking about becoming more active in attacking, Held and Quick’s smart decision-making is proof her message is getting through.
“That’s why I coach. It’s awesome to see that light bulb go off,” Shull said. “They’re big points, absolutely, and the fact it’s your setters, not those big hitters, makes it all the more gratifying for the team.”
Moses led the Lady Giant attack with 13 kills while DeRodes added 11 while Kennedy Bohannan added six and Marissa Overmyer had five.
Quick had 24 assists and Held had 19 helpers while Lindsay Weickert had 24 digs.
The victory is Ross’ second in a row and lifts its record to 3-6 overall. The Lady Giants host Whitmer Thursday at 7:30.