FREMONT – Errors and miscues came in bunches for the Lady Giants in their volleyball season-opener Monday night.
Hosting Tiffin Columbian, Ross battled close in each of the match’s first two sets, only to see the Tornadoes pull away late. By the third set, the Lady Giants’ ill-timed mistakes were too much to overcome and the Tornadoes swept the match, 25-20, 25-19, 25-14.
“I was super-impressed that they never got down on themselves and they continued to push, even into set three when the score didn’t look so great,” coach Kari Shull said. “I just think in that third set we had a lot of problems trying to string enough good balls together.”
Ross held a 17-13 lead in the first set, then Columbian won eight of the next nine points, and, soon thereafter, the set thanks, in part, to unforced Ross errors.
The second set saw more of the same. Ross led 18-17 only to see Columbian win seven of the last eight points of the set when Ross hit a shot long, misplayed a setting attempt and shot into the net, among other miscues.
With each error, more seemed to follow.
“Whether it was passing or you might get a nice pass to set and the third ball was bad,” Shull said.
With a two-set lead, Columbian wasted little time closing out the match, jumping out to a 14-6 lead.
“Tiffin Columbian didn’t make a lot of errors in that third set,” Shull said. “They definitely deserved their win. They earned it.”
Ross (0-1) travels to Bellevue Thursday night.
Shull said the Lady Giants mistakes are correctable, and Ross knows how to do so.
“Repetition and time on the court,” Shull said. “That’s the magic bullet.”