Hancock slams the door on Corsairs
Looking to rebound from last week's disappointing performance, the Lady Corsairs were still unable to find their rhythm as they fell to the Hancock College Bulldogs. While they did at least avoid a sweep, the match ended in a blowout as the Bulldogs mauled Santa Monica in a series that ended 3-1. SMC's game plan was ineffective throughout, as they continuously gave away easy points by under-hitting balls and bailing the Bulldogs out on defense.
"Coming into the game, our game plan was to execute what we didn't practice, which was staying in our zones and being disciplined," said Melisa Tindle, a sophomore net player for the Corsairs.Despite the mistakes, the Corsairs would put up a valiant fight against the Bulldogs.
In the opening match, SMC and Hancock battled back-and-forth in an exciting contest, but the Bulldogs offensive firepower would prove too much as they felled the Corsairs 25-21.
Hancock would carry that momentum into the second match, as they continued to put the pressure on the Corsairs' defense with excellent execution. SMC's head coach Nicole Ryan was able to stave off some of the Bulldogs' energy with a few crucial time-outs, but Hancock's early success would be enough to edge out the Corsairs 25-23.
The highlight of the night for SMC would come in the third match, when they displayed their resolve, mounting a comeback in the face of defeat. By going on an impressive 9-0 run, SMC asserted themselves offensively and avoided their second consecutive sweep by winning the game 25-19. Even though the Lady Corsair squad would lose the match after another decent performance in the following fourth game, there was positivity in SMC's ability to keep every match close.
"We're trying to put everything together right now," said Tindle. "We have a lot of good things going as individual players, we just need to work better together as a team."
The Corsairs look to harmonize their play and execute accordingly in the upcoming games this week, as they still are a team with something to prove.