Thanks to Fairbury First for the article and Trimm Photo for the pictures.
The Lady Jeffs will be riding the momentum of winning 3 straight matches into the coming week. The week began on Tuesday with a 1-3 loss to Centennial, followed by another 1-3 loss to Crete on Thursday. Fairbury righted the ship on Homecoming weekend at their home invite. Tri County fell victim to the Lady Jeffs first, followed by Sandy Creek and finally Holdrege, with Fairbury winning each match 2-0.
“Our week started off Tuesday where we lost at Centennial in a 4 set match. We lost the first 2 sets but didn’t quit and came back winning the 3rd set and competing to the end the 4th set. Thursday brought another road contest (our 9th straight) against Crete. Crete presented a different type of game then Centennial as they had 2 strong players on offense that gave us some trouble. I felt we played better then we had been playing but it wasn’t enough to get the win,” commented Coach Bob Hinrichs on the team’s performance earlier in the week.
Coach Hinrichs continued, “You could just see the weight lifted off of their shoulders winning that first set (against Tri County) after getting behind early. The second set provided more positive offense and a win to start off the tournament. The second game against Sandy Creek seemed to be a much more relaxed team playing on the floor. All 13 players got action in the 2 set win against Sandy Creek. A final game in the tournament against Holdrege was the final step for the day. After getting down 6-12 the ladies found a way to fight back with a mix of good play on offense, at the net and defensive coverage. Set 2 provided more of the same in a close hard fought battle to the end. Effort was the difference in Saturday’s play. I saw players making saves out of bounds near the bleachers, diving on the floor to pick up tips and setting balls from their knees after making a previous play. That combined with coming together and playing as a team will be what carries them through the remainder of the season.”
Hinrichs carried on about the Lady Jeffs, “I have to give a shout out to Alyse Petersen who had been fighting back problems for a couple weeks, a head cold for about a week and making a move from setter to right side in Saturdays tournament. She proved to be a team player and played well offensively and defensively in the role. We are blessed to have players on this squad who can be utilized in various situations. This makes changes a lot easier to be implemented when necessary.”
Fairbury travels to Beatrice Monday, then hosts Superior on Tuesday.
For pictures from the home invite, see Busted Lens Photography
