Watkins Mill outlasts Blair

SEPT 24, NELSON H. KOBREN MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM-

Girls Volleyball remained neck and neck with a talented Watkins Mill squad deep into their fifth game, but despite delivering clutch spikes and dazzling saves, the Blazers were plagued by miscommunication and a weak service game. They lost the match 25-21, 22-25, 20-25, 26-24, and 12-15.

The Blazers played a tight match, keeping the Wolverines in sight and completing many impressive plays. With the help of seniors Rebecca Cho and Amanda Hsiung, the Blazers slammed balls past their opponents. Seniors Emily Ramsay and Simone Viger took care of defense, blocking several crucial Wolverine spikes.

Nevertheless, Blazer communication on the court was weak, and countless plays died when balls hit the floor or were lost when several players went for them at once. Watkins Mill was able to repeatedly take advantage of these Blair blunders. Co-captain Hsiung attributed some of these mistakes to a lack of practice due to Hurricane Isabel and the resulting power outages. "We haven't practiced for six days," she said.

The match began well, the Blazers pulling ahead 9-8 in the first game. Blair's front row helped to protect their lead, Cho contributing a key spike that landed just inside the line and kept Watkins Mill from turning the game in their favor. Although the score remained close, Blair was able to clinch the game when Cho slammed a dazzling spike past several diving Wolverines with assistance from Hsiung and junior Tina Yang.

After losing the second and third games to the Wolverines due to critical mental and physical errors, Blair returned to the court with energy and vigor, quickly rallying to a 6-0 lead. Unfortunately, the blazers allowed Watkins Mill to even the score out at 11-11. Nevertheless, Blair managed to win the game after a hard hit by senior co-captain Carey Bartlett, pushing the match into a fifth game.

In accordance with Montgomery County's new system of "rally-point" scoring (in which teams can win points even when they are not serving), the fifth game of a match is played to only 15 points. In Blair's fifth set, they remained constantly either tied with or only a few points away from Watkins Mill, which made their 12-15 loss all the more frustrating for both fans and players." It was disappointing," said Hsiung, who points to a weak service game as an issue in tonight's match and a spot for improvement.