As the losses pile up for the Redmond High volleyball team, the wear and tear of a trying season is evident on head coach Ross Johnson’s face — but he is certainly not giving up.
On Tuesday, the visiting Inglemoor Vikings (2-4 overall) overcame an eight-point first set deficit to rally and win, using that momentum to take sets two and three in a sweep of the Mustangs.
But it only seems to be a matter of time before Johnson’s Mustang team (0-3, 0-6), and their never-quit attitude, will discover the magic elixir to break through against the tough 4A Kingco league.
“I’ve been coaching for a long time and I’ve never been around a group of kids that has worked so hard and doesn’t experience the big payoff,” lamented Johnson after the match. “Nobody deserves it more than these guys.”
MOMENTUM KILLER
The Mustangs, who shined at a recent volleyball tournament at Juanita High School but have not won a game in six other matches this season, seemed poised to break through in the first game, taking advantage of Inglemoor’s many unforced errors to build a comfortable 15-8 lead.
Then, as quickly as it happened, the Vikings went on a tear, winning eight straight points to take a 16-15 lead. With the score tied at 19-19, the Vikings took control, rallying down the stretch for six straight points to win 25-19.
The Vikings’ firepower up front, led by 6-foot-1 middle Julia Haining and aggressive outside hitter Emily Carpenter (eight kills each), proved too much for the Mustangs to handle as the home team fell in the second set 25-15.
With their backs to the wall, the Mustangs again built an early lead at 6-2 and later 11-6, but a 14-3 run by the Vikings put the game, and the match, away.
“We just have to find a way to push through it,” said senior libero Justice Magraw. “We have the talent and we can take these teams, there’s something blocking us. We’ll figure it out.”
Magraw had a fine match for the Mustangs, with 16 point-saving digs, three aces and four kills, all from the back row.
Offensively, Joy Zhang and Heather Smith, who stand just 5-8 and 5-7 respectively, got some major air as they combined for six kills apiece, and setter Sarah Du recorded 15 assists.
“They’re doing some good things and we’ve gotten a lot better, but we’ve got to break through,” Johnson said. “We had a lot of success at the Juanita tournament a couple weeks ago, we beat some teams that were pretty good. I know they can do it, they know they can do it.”
A “RELENTLESS” LEAGUE
Johnson, who has coached at Redmond since 1999 and is a former assistant and head coach at Northwest University in Kirkland for seven years, has seen some tough volleyball teams. He believes that the 4A Kingco league is as tough as it gets, with a steep learning curve for programs with thinner numbers such as Redmond.
The Mustangs played Bothell on Thursday, after the Reporter’s deadline, and then take on Issaquah and Skyline in upcoming matches.
“I don’t know what it’s going to take. When we can win a game in a match — every time we’re getting close — I think that’s going to be big.”
Even with the Mustangs’ winless record, the girls always are fighting out every point, and most importantly, enjoying the team camaraderie and always have smiles on their faces.
“With the leadership and the personalities we have, they enjoy being around each other,” Johnson said. “We’re being tested, and they’re resilient… this Kingco league is relentless.”
As the most experienced girl on the team, Magraw, who plays for Sudden Impact Volleyball Club out of Issaquah, said that getting the girls to gel was a top priority this year. Hopefully, the team will get that boost of confidence it needs to reap the rewards by way of their first league win.
“We’re just working on being more of a team this year,” she explained. “We had some trouble (in the past), but we’re really close this year and we’re just trying to take it one (game) at a time.”
To view and/or purchase action photos from this match, visit photographer Matt Campbell’s website at http://www.sportspixs.com/rhs092711
