Maybe a rivalry match is what will finally get the Yuma High School volleyball team rolling.
The Indians hosted Wray this past Tuesday in a Lower Platte Activities Association match.
They had dropped five straight. However, they put it together Tuesday night in their 2021 home finale in The Pit, beating their rival in straight sets, 25-18, 25-15, 25-20. They improved their overall record to 7-11, and went to 2-5 in LPAA play.
“If any opponent would get us up for a game, I hope it’s Wray,” coach Jenny Noble said earlier this week, adding that while Wray also has struggled, the Indians needed to be ready to play well to get the win.
“It’s a prideful game for us. It’s Parents’ Night, the last game in The Pit as ‘Indians’. Tomorrow’s a big day,” she said. “That’s hopefully enough to get us going. This is all about pride right here.”
The Indians came through with a solid effort against their county rival. Noble started an all-senior lineup, and both schools’ student sections were at full throttle, making for a fun environment in The Pit.
It was 8-8 in the first set when the Indians ran off six straight. Wray never got closer than four after that. Yuma scored the first eight points in the second set, and never was seriously threatened. The Eagles kept battling, though, leading multiple times in the third set, including 18-16. The Indians made sure there would not be a fourth set, though, by running off seven straight points.
Yuma next heads to Alliance, Nebraska on Saturday to play in a tournament, with a chance to maybe start adding to the win column again. The Indians are in Pool A with North Platte, Alliance and Oelrichs.
North Platte entered this week with a 4-27 record, while Alliance was 17-12, and Oelrichs, out of South Dakota, was 2-10.
“Hopefully, we have ample opportunities to get some wins there,” Noble said.
The Indians then close out the regular season next Friday at Holyoke.
They entered this week ranked No. 24 in the Class 2A Rating Percentage Index. Some wins would help solidify their participation in the 36-team regional in early November. The top 12 seeds will host three-team regionals, with winners advancing to the state tournament.
“We have to work towards that,” Noble said. “Last year we had a tough draw and look what happened (upsetting Meeker and advancing to state again). We can go as far as we allow ourselves to go.”
The Indians hosted Class 3A Sterling last Thursday, falling in three sets, 12-25, 18-25, 18-25.
They were close to the Tigers a couple of times in each set, but the visitors eventually pulled away to comfortable wins each time.
Yuma again struggled on attacks, finishing with a negative hitting percentage, which has occurred multiple times this season. Of Yuma’s 20 kills, Elle Roth had nine, Caddis Robinson five, Mia Dischner three, and Lea Richardson, Meidi Reyes and Alejandra Barron one each. Richardson had 16 setting assists. Roth and Emma Rayl led in serve receive. Yuma was 87.8 percent at the service line with just one ace. Robinson was 10-10 serving, Richardson 8-9 with an ace, Reyes 8-8, Alina Moran 4-5, Roth 4-6, Dischner 3-4, Lyndsey Mekelburg 2-2, and Rayl 2-3.
