Blazers can't fly with Screaming Eagles

The winless Blazers coed volleyball team continued the trend of tight games that are eventually lost, as they fell to Seneca Valley in four sets, 18-25, 22-25, 25-22, 19-25, on the road.

The game was very evenly matched, but the Screaming Eagles got all of the breaks. They were almost always in position to give the ball back to Blair. Blair coach John Mott could not prepare the team for that kind of defense.

"They were very good at covering the floor," Mott said after the game. "Seneca Valley is a very scrappy team, so even if we hit it well, they are always there to put it back."

Both teams never gave up on any points, no matter how long they lasted. Every single point was fought brutally hard for, and both teams showed tremendous effort. Many points lasted well beyond a minute long, and the game was about two hours long.

Great serving by senior Rebecca Cho often led to spans of consecutive points for the Blazers, as she served for a crucial five point run in the second set to bring the Blazers within only a two-point deficit, but the set ended in Seneca Valley's way, 22-25.

Senior Amanda Hsiung, the "Floor General" as Coach Mott called her, played a focused and intense game, as usual. "She was outstanding in every aspect of the game," Mott said of Hsiung.

Adrian Cretzu, a reserve, got to see crucial time as he played with great intensity. Cretzu, who comes off the bench, made his way into the line up for the entire last three sets.

Unfortunately for Blair, the effort came too late in the game as they appeared to come alive in the second and third sets. The Blazers were shut down in the first set due to poor serving and miscommunication.

"As the games went on we became more competitive, but we just didn't get it done early enough," Coach Mott said.

The main reason for Blair's woes this season might be the lack of experience for their boys. The team has several good senior girls in Hsiung, Cho, and senior Lauren Wong. The only senior boy is Jason Gordon.