Volleyball: Inexperienced spikers drop opener

Talk about it

Rosemount volleyball coach Kristin Helgeson knew heading into the first match that her squad would be overmatched in one aspect — experience.

Due in part to a big roster turnover from last season, and in part to the switch to a 6-2 system where the Irish offense uses two setters, several players would be getting their first varsity action.

The inexperience showed at times for Rosemount in a 25-19, 26-24, 25-22 loss at home to Farmington on Monday.

“We played 12 kids in that game and started seven that have never had varsity time before, so it wasn’t too surprising,” Helgeson said. “What killed us were our hitting errors. We had a lot of errors. If we had pulled out that second game, the outcome might have been different. I wasn’t terribly disappointed. You would like to win, but it is what it is.”

The biggest difference in the game wasn’t the lack of experience. It was a superior blocking performance by Farmington.

Rosemount had 25 hitting errors.

“I don’t think it was all the new kids,” Helgeson said. “They had a huge block. Their middle was out of control. She had a ton of blocks. I think the girls were nervous, but she just shut us down.

“We were swinging hard and when it was closed down, we didn’t make good decisions.”

Paige Peterson led the way with 16 kills.

The Irish defense fared well. Elaine Warner finished with four blocks of her own. Jordan Hinkle had 14 digs, while Sharon Flom and Mikaela Sullivan each dug 10 balls.

Getting the first game out of the way should benefit the inexperienced Irish going forward.

“One thing that I think hurt us is Farmington had played one match and it was our first,” Helgeson said. “In an ideal situation, you would like to match up with a team where you’re both on your first match. Once we get the first win, and get more matches, we’ll get more confident and get into the flow of things.”

Rosemount had several positions open during preseason practices and Helgeson liked what she saw. Several players will cycle through the lineup due to the 6-2 offense.

“On a normal night, we’ll probably play 11,” Helgeson said. “It’s not really just roles off the bench as subs. It’s more like starting roles. We need a lot of players to step up.”

Tags: sports, volleyball