Lady Knights learning to stay patient
Published 10:08 pm Friday, September 23, 2016
The Suffolk Christian Academy girls’ volleyball team has yet to get a win, but it remains optimistic that success is coming soon.
Going through a tough season is hard on everyone, from coaches to players. Though they have not won a game yet, the Lady Knights have been remaining patient through all of their struggles.
“Even though we haven’t had a win, I like how we have been competing,” head coach Kristy Patton said. “A lot of our opponents play volleyball year around, and of course the more you play, the better you get.”
Every game, the Lady Knights have played with a positive attitude, which at times has resulted in bright spots on the court. Patton likes to call them “moments of brilliance.” However, the Lady Knights have a hard time showing those flashes of brilliance on a consistent basis.
“There will be times where we make fabulous passes or get a defensive stop,” Patton said. “If we showed more of those things on a consistent basis, we will certainly start winning games. We don’t quit.”
Regardless of not having a win, the Lady Knights all feel that they are on the same page, which is an essential element.
“I think our team has progressed in a positive way,” senior Grace Fowler said. “Each game we are becoming a better unit that works as one. Through trials, we have grown stronger.”
Fowler has been a part of the volleyball program since she was in seventh grade and has gone through both good and bad seasons. To her, this season is different from the rest, because every player has each other’s back and only focuses on positivity and picking each other up.
“I do believe we are on the brink of something great,” Fowler said. “If we keep working hard and keeping our heads up, we have the capability and skills to be competitive and gain some wins this season.”
Last Tuesday, the Lady Knights lost 3-0 to Tidewater Academy. That was the second meeting between the two teams. In the first game, Tidewater dominated. During the second meeting, the Lady Knights competed better and even led in a set at one point.
“We competed hard,” Patton said. “We had some untimely errors. Even though we lost in three sets, two of those three were very close.”
The Lady Knights can feel that the success is close and won’t let the losing affect them.
“I think if we continue to move forward as a team and trust in each other’s abilities, we will be fine,” junior Eva Waddell said. “We have to keep developing into the strong players we know we can be, and the success will come.”
Patton feels that one issue that needs to be fixed is the team’s defensive positioning. Transitioning from offense to defense should be a lot smoother, and Patton and the Lady Knights have been working on that.
“We feel like we are working hard to get better,” Patton said. “We’ve talked about it and prayed about it, and we decided to stop making excuses for our losses, and let’s work on staying active.”
The Lady Knights are at home against Summit Christian Academy 5:45 p.m. Sept 26.