Kirtland Central-Piedra Vista Volleyball Leftovers

Volleyball is a game of momentum.

I've heard that statement several times this week. Still, Kirtland Central's two games featured more long runs and disheartening droughts than usual.

KC, too, seemed to thrive on their crowd once they strung together a few points. That's why I figured they'd make an improbable trip to the District 1-4A finals after they erased a 13-6 deficit in Game 5 and had two match points. But Piedra Vista, banking on their healthy number of five-game matches (8), survived and advanced.

Here are a few scribblings from my notebook that didn't make the game story:

Game 1

Piedra Vista used a 10-2 run to storm to a 19-11 lead.

Game 2

PV wasn't hitting hard -- they were trying to tip and roll and it wasn't working. Kirtland Central had four aces as they built a 13-3 lead.

KC's key players sprinkled in enough kills to add to PV's mistakes passing and hitting out of bounds.

Game 3

The Lady Panthers started to funnel the ball to the middle effectively. Emily Bushard and Brittany Jackson combined for 10 kills and a block each, churning a 12-10 lead to a 25-17 win.

Game 4

In a point that typified KC's run through the District 1-4A tournament, the Lady Broncos blocked/dug several big hits from PV's work horses with pancake digs, keeping a long rally alive when they looked dead several times before Taylor Yazzie spiked it to the gym floor.

The healthy KC crowd went crazy, the Broncos bursted to a 23-17 lead and won 25-21 to stay alive.

PV almost stopped their momentum, getting within 23-21. PV coach Ron Becker, I thought, took a good time out down 24-21 to quiet the crowd and stem the emotion a bit, but it didn't work out.

The Broncos lost a similar point down 5-3 in the final game.

Game 5

Piedra Vista's defense played much better after Becker inserted defensive specialist Brittany Softka to shore up the back line and the passing.

They overcame problems in the service game -- four service errors and an ace by KC's Samantha Begay -- by preventing a lot of kill shots from being successful.

"I think I'll definitely use it again tomorrow night. I think that really made a big difference," Becker said. "It's probably something I should've tried earlier.

"Alix (Russell) is trying to swing outside and hit, and she's also passing. She's trying to do two jobs at once so it takes away her focus from both."

Becker also said that he thinks Russell's lingering foot injury is affecting her. He added that she wouldn't admit as much and called her a tough player.

*****

So it's set: Piedra Vista at Shiprock, Saturday, 7 p.m.

"They're gonna have a heck of a crowd out there," Becker said. "(Shiprock coach) Tim (Liufau) has done a really great job coaching those girls, so I expect it to be tough."

Becker said he felt less pressure for Saturday's championship game because he's more secure about PV's standing in the state tournament field.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher