By Nathan Howard – Tabor College Athletics
STERLING, Kan. (TaborBluejays.com) – Bluejay Athletics officially kicked off competition in the 2024 season with the Bluejay Reserve Volleyball squad opening their season on Wednesday evening at the Sterling College Triangular.
The triangular provided a solid measuring stick for the Lady Bluejays, as they faced off against Ottawa and Central Christian.
Match One vs Ottawa Reserve: L 0-2 (25-22, 25-22)
Ottawa got the best of the Bluejays in their first match, taking both sets by an identical score of 25-22. While the Braves came out of the match victorious, Bluejay Reserve Head Coach Adrianne Zabel was encouraged by what she saw from her squad, “Despite struggling to find our connections and rhythm offensively throughout both sets, I thought the girls held up well defensively and in serve-receive.”
Match Two vs Central Christian Reserve: W 2-0 (25-12, 26-24)
The Lady Bluejays bounced back in their second match of the season, sending the Tigers of Central Christian crawling back to McPherson in a two-set sweep behind the efforts of sophomores Sydney Biggs, Kimari Downer, and Ashley Rosfeld. “After a tough season opener loss and struggling to find our groove against Central Christian in our scrimmage on Tuesday, I was very pleased with how the girls showed resilience and came out strong in our match on Wednesday against Central Christian”, remarked Coach Zabel. “Our three Reserve sophomore returners; Kimari, Sydney and Ashley are a huge blessing to help lead a team made up of mostly freshmen.”
Ultimately, Zabel was proud of her squad and encouraged at how the team looked in their opening matches, “I’m excited to see how these girls continue to grow on and off the court throughout this season!”
