Lady Miners win heated sets

"I am exhausted, I don't know if they are," Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) High School Volleyball Coach Jackie Jones said after her team beat Wyoming Indian School in five long sets. "Without a doubt, it was a grow-up game for us."

The Lady Miners lost the first set 26-24. HEM redeemed itself in the next set by pulling ahead to win 25-18.

The homecoming crowd was loud with their praise at the end of the second set, but on the third set, the cheers were constant as the score favored the Lady Miners 27-25.

The fourth set was like another team was on the court as the Lady Miners saw the Lady Chiefs pull ahead and not be in any danger of losing the set. The set score: 16-25.

"They whupped us pretty good in that fourth set," Jones said. "I honestly think in that fourth set, the girls were just trying to take that breather, but unfortunately they took it out on court."

Jones said before the fifth set, she told her team, communication and aggressiveness was going to be the key of winning.

The Lady Chiefs seemed to be pulling away at 8-10, then the Lady Miners pulled together and took the fifth set.

"For them to be able to push that fifth set and go point for point and then we were down 8-10 and for them to come back and do what they did, I am thrilled."

The Lady Miners had good rallies in all the sets and the competitive spirit was evident. Amy Campbell had a very good game again to Jones' delight.

"At the net she takes care of business. She gets behind the serving line and she is composed," Jones said. "But Amy will be the first to say, it is team and that is what makes her a very unique player."

Wyoming Indian School is a 2A team and this helps HEM score more conference points, which made it a huge game said Jones.

The Lady Miners will travel to Guernsey to take on the Lady Vikings at 5 p.m. Sept. 28.

HEM beat Guernsey the last time the teams met up, but the Lady Miners had the advantage of being home. Jones knows the Guernsey team will be looking for revenge and having the home court advantage means the Lady Miners will have be ready for a competitive game.

"This week we go to Guernsey and this team has to be aggressive," Jones said. "If we can build on this, good things will happen."