By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
SALEM, Ore. — The Amity Volleyball team came out with energy to open their PacWest Conference opening game with Salem Academy on Monday evening. Opening up the game leading the Crusaders 8-3 in the opening set of the match before Salem Academy made a rally back to take a 15-12 lead.
Even then, the Warriors stayed the course and tied the game back up at 19 against the squad who won the 2A State Title last year.
“That’s how we were the entire time when we played Sisters on Saturday. We’re really building that team chemistry, and that showed all throughout that first set,” said Amity Head Coach Brooke Lopez. “It’s just about them being mentally tough athletes that can push through tough games and teams that are easily as skilled as us.”
The Crusaders had one more rally left in them. They had those first game home jitters that had played a factor in the beginning of this contest, but as old saying goes, ‘it’s how you respond’.
And they responded well.
The Cascade Christian Tournament that they were at over the weekend had helped them find a groove that they had eventually found again on Monday.
They closed out the first set on a 6-1 run, carried that over to a 25-10 second set victory where they took advantage of a Warrior line-up change in the set, setting the tone from the start and opened up the third set up 13-4 en route to a 25-20, 25-10, 25-20 sweep of the Warriors at home.
“That (Cascade Christian) tournament was really great for us to work through that…I got so many versatile players that is awesome, so I can do some adjustments and play different people in different positions, so that’s what’s fun. We have a good group of seniors who are excited about stepping up and who are stepping up, and they’re doing a fabulous job.”
Confidence with each other will be the focal point for the squad moving forward points Copeland as they’ll host Santiam Christian on September 9 for their next game.
“Just everyone doing their part and everyone is important. Knowing that everyone has to step up every game and do their part and role for sure,” said Copeland. “Just owning their own positions, stepping up as leaders, and they’re doing that. It just takes some time.”
Slowly, Amity came back around in the third set after going down nine early. Lopez went back to what she had set up in the first set, and they began to chip away at the deficit. The squad finished the match on a 16-12 advantage as they turned their focus to Elmira on Tuesday on the road.
“It really clicked us as a team and helped show us what we need to work on and our goals as players, where we’re supposed to be and how we’re supposed to play as a team,” said the Warriors Savannah Brown.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
