Good weekend for Douglas volleyball
By Ayanda K. Gatsha, Contributor
It was an exciting weekend for the Royals as they hosted a strong Camosun squad that would put them through their paces.
The women’s game saw the Royals off to an aggressive start as they allowed Camosun to chase them. As both teams crossed the 10-point mark, Camosun finally grasped control of the lead. A well-called timeout by Douglas saw the Camosun momentum wither away though. The Royals were able to take the lead back and win the first set 25 to 22.
The second was just as close lived as the first, with both teams vying for the lead. Despite strong play and hustle from the Royals, Camosun was able to take it, 25-23.
The victory was short-lived as the last two sets were dominated by the home team with the scores being 25-21 and 25-18 respectively.
Saturday’s game was much different. Camosun came into the game determined to make up for the previous night and did not falter in their effort. In a tough but clean series, the visiting team was able to sweep the Royals 3-0.
After the second game, coach Kyra Iannone spoke about the loss. “They (Camosun) were better today. They showed up and played a way tougher game, and for the most part, we didn’t.”
Over on the men’s side, the weekend started differently compared to their counterparts. They began the slugfest chasing the lead until the end, resulting in a 25 to 23 loss.
The second set saw a lot of hustle from both teams as they traded points back-and-forth. Ultimately, it was Camosun who took the second at 26-24. Things began to look bleak for the Royals, who were now down two sets.
Nevertheless, Douglas continued playing with the same fervor as before, catching an overconfident Camosun off guard. They fell to an overwhelming Royals squad that took the fourth, 25-20.
The final set was truly climatic as both sides exchanged leads early on. Midway through, the Royals were finally able to wrench control from the Chargers and finished the game strong, claiming a comeback win, 15-11.
The last game of the week featured a near carbon copy of the events from the previous night. Once again, the men found themselves on the verge of losing. Down two sets to one, the Royals were able to rally in the fourth and force a fifth. They crushed Camosun in the final set giving them two much needed wins against their rivals.
After the game, coach Brad Hudson spoke about how he felt the team performed. “We played really good considering we played essentially two completely different lineups on back-to-back days. The team played with great energy and emotion this weekend.”
