Saints battle but come up short

Dannell Woodcock leaping for a kill shot against Clark College on Wednesday Oct. 12 in the three set loss. Photo by Davyn Owen.

Saints volleyball is having a rocky season so far, with a Southern Division record of 1-6 in the NWAC conference, and a 12-20 record overall.

Mt. Hood’s most recent home game was Oct. 12, when the Saints faced Clark College (6-1 in the division, 21-8 overall). In the first set, Mt. Hood was in a hole early, falling behind 5-0. The defense was unable get anything going to help mount a comeback, losing the set 25-14. The Saints had 10 errors while Clark College only had one.

The second set went almost the exact same way. Clark scored six of the first seven points and Mt. Hood continued to struggle with 12 errors, while Clark had just two. The Saints lost the second set, 25-13.The Saints came out strong in the third set, grabbing an early 3-1 lead, their first of the match. Mt. Hood stayed neck-and-neck with Clark for most of the game but couldn’t pull off the win, losing 25-19. The best-of-five match was over after just three sets. Despite the result, the Saints looked very good at times. A couple of notable players were freshman Hannah Spears and sophomore Jasmayne Williams, both outside hitters. Spears had nine kills and eight errors on 24 (offensive) attempts. She added seven defensive digs, and one block assist. Williams recorded five kills and had three errors on 17 attempts. She also had one ace and three digs.

There were two major areas that allowed Clark to run away with the victory. The Penguins totaled 31 blocks, while the Saints only had two for the match. Clark returned the ball consistently and precisely, leading to 31 errors overall by the Saints while Clark committed just seven all match long.

Despite their record for the year, Mt. Hood showed some strong signs in the Clark match. The Saints had 41 digs, 11 more than Clark. Mt. Hood also had 33 kills, three more than the Penguins.

It’s unlikely but the Saints could still finish .500 in conference play – they would have to win their last five contests of the season. However, this year’s roster has seven first-year athletes who could return for next season. If they do, next year’s team could have a lot of chemistry and experience working together, giving them a good chance to go far and do well under coach Kim Lassinna in what would be her second year as their leader.

It’ll be exciting to see what the future holds for these ladies. Their next game is tonight against Southwestern Oregon Community College at 6:30pm. Its Dig Pink Night!

Advocate Staff