Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
With a wild home crowd behind it, Alliance was just a little too much for the Sidney High varsity volleyball team on Thursday night. The Lady Raiders were swept by scores of 25-17, 27-25, 25-17.
Playing in a warm gym, Sidney hung tough in the first set with the Bulldogs. Sidney took a 5-3 lead to start the set, but Alliance was able to build a few short runs. The Lady Raiders found enough responses with early blocking to keep things close. But several Sidney mistakes allowed Alliance to build and ride momentum in its home gym on the way to a 25-17 win in the first set.
In the second set, which might be the most tense of Sidney’s season so fa, the Lady Raiders again built a 5-3 lead and really began to pick up their level of play. A point-for-point exchange eventually came to a 13-11 Alliance lead. The Lady Raiders then constructed a 6-0 run to take control of the set at 17-13. The Lady Raiders got led 19-15, before Alliance went on a 7-2 run, giving them a 22-20 lead.
Sidney recaptured the lead 24-22 after a couple of booming kills and a pair of Alliance mistakes. But the Bulldogs scored five of the next six points to take the set, 27-25.
In the third set, Sidney started flat after an emotionally draining second set. With a 13-8 lead, Alliance went on another big run that saw them reach 20 for a 12-point lead. Sidney fought hard to make things closer, but Alliance sealed the sweep with a 25-17 victory in the final set.
Sidney head coach Sarah Wilson said it’s important to take things in stride.
“The girls played tough and I know it was disappointing to them to lose the three sets,” Wilson said. “There’s a lot of season left. We have a lot of potential for growth and we knew this wasn’t going to be a 25-0 season.”
Wilson has a clear plan in mind for her team to improve down the line.
“I think our next step is we need to become more of an offensive threat,” she said. “The girls are seeing the floor, we’re starting to get the defense there, the passes, the scrappiness and we’ve got some big swingers but we aren’t terminating.”
Sidney is back in action Tuesday at 6 p.m. when it hosts Chase County.
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