Yuma High School’s volleyball team is going to have to hit its way into the win column.
The Indians enter Friday’s match at Caliche with a 4-5 overall record, 0-2 in the Lower Platte Activities Association, losing three of their last four.
“We need to hit the ball hard,” coach Jenny Noble said. “Until we start doing that, it’s going to be tough…We just need to take a chance (at the net).”
The Tribe posted a negative kill efficiency of minus-.014. It was the second time this season that has occurred.
“We talked about it after the first time,” Noble said. “You don’t win when you have that, and now it’s happened twice.”
Yuma will be looking to get back into the win column when it travels to a Caliche team that entered this week 1-8 overall, 0-2 in LPAA play.
The Indians then are home Tuesday to take on a Haxtun squad that is 9-2 overall, 3-0 in league play. Haxtun is ranked No. 5 in Class 1A.
Yuma entered this week ranked No. 27 in the Rating Percentage Index. Noble noted playing lowly-ranked Class 1A Caliche will not help the Tribe’s RPI standing, but it is more important at the moment to start tacking on some wins again.
The Indians had a tough time at home last Thursday, suffering a four-set loss to the Akron Rams in a league match, 19-25, 25-19, 23-25, 21-25.
Yuma raced out to an 8-1 lead in the first set, but saw Akron score 10 of the next 11 points and never really could get into a rhythm after that, though the Indians had a chance to win in each set. They recovered in the first set for a 17-14 lead. Akron came back to tie it at 19, then scored six straight to close out the Tribe.
It was Yuma who trailed early in the second set, but rallied for a 10-7 lead, and pushed it to 16-10. Again, Akron battled back to get within two three times, but Meidi Reyes served up the last four points, with Jailyn Mekelburg getting the set-winning kill for the 25-19 decision.
It seemed the Indians might start to assert themselves at that point, but Akron came right back to take a 6-1 lead in the third set. Yuma battled back for a 13-11 lead, and later ran off six of seven points for a 21-17 lead. However, Akron again went on a run with six straight and eventually closed out the two-point win after the teams were tied at 23.
The Tribe jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the fourth set. Both teams took turns battling back from deficits, with the score tied four times. It was 20-20 when Akron pulled away.
Yuma finished with a .136 kill efficiency. Elle Roth had 19 kills, Caddis Robison seven, Mekelburg (who rolled an ankle late in the match) six, Alejandra Barron and Mia Dischner four each, and Lea Richardson two. Richardson had 30 setting assists, and Dischner four. Richardson, Robinson, Roth and Lyndsey Mekelburg led in digs. J. Mekelburg was 21-22 serving with four aces, Reyes 15-15 with three aces, Roth 14-15 with one ace, Dischner 12-13 with one ace, Richardson 11-12 with two aces, and Robinson 10-12.
Yuma made the trip to Greeley to take on the University Bulldogs, ranked No. 3 in 3A.
The Indians seemed to play well, but were simply outgunned as the Bulldogs pulled away in each set for the 3-0 win, 15-25, 16-25 and 18-25. University was able to string more points together. The Tribe did get off to a good start in the third set, taking a 6-2 lead, and extending it to 10-5, forcing a University timeout. The Bulldogs methodically battled back, eventually tying the score at 14.
The home team then pulled away, scoring seven of the last eight points.
“If we look at the stats, comparing Akron and University, there’s no comparison because the stats against Akron actually were pretty good, and University was not.”
She noted the Indians are struggling with finishing out a volley for a point, often committing unforced errors.
“When you give away points, you have a tough time winning,” Noble said.
Reyes and Roth both had five kills while the Indians totaled 14. Richardson had 12 assists. Emma Rayl led in digs. Richardson was 10-12 serving with four aces, Reyes 10-10, Dischner 8-8 with one ace, Barron 6-7, Roth 5-6, Robinson 3-4, L. Mekelburg 3-3, and Kinley Eyring 2-2.
