By Jack Reaney ASSOCIATE EDITOR
The Lone Peak High School Big Horns hosted the Gardiner High School Bruins on Saturday, Sept. 23, still hunting for their first victory of the season.
The Big Horns lost the first two games, 25-18 and 25-17. In best-of-five play, they had their backs against the wall. They were competitive in the third game, leading 9-3 early and 18-12 later in the game. The Bruins closed that gap, but a block by senior Dylan Klein helped stop Gardiner’s momentum. The Big Horns won, 25-19.
The Bruins took care of business in the fourth game, however. They jumped to a 17-6 lead, and despite a strong run of serves by sophomore Lily Turner, the Bruins won 25-14, ending the match. Throughout the match, Gardiner junior Ellie Reinertson delivered vicious left-handed spikes and a strong serve.
After the game, head coach Bailey Dowd reflected on a challenging season. It’s looked much different than last year—when the Big Horns reached the divisional tournament—largely due to the Big Horns graduating three of their team leaders and missing a four-year varsity player in senior Vera Grabow, recovering from a broken ankle.
Coach Dowd said the team is rebuilding and taking each game one step at a time. She said the team played their best defense of the season on Saturday, but they came up short on offense.
“The biggest thing this team needs is consistency,” Dowd explained. “Because right now, we have moments of really great volleyball. And even full games of really great volleyball. But we can’t string it all together for a full set.”
Dowd said that while the team is still in search of their first win, they are trending upwards. The entire program is taking strides, and she’s proud of the girls for persevering through a tough start to the season. She expects to see multiple wins by season’s end.
“It’s hard to keep looking for a win, game after game, but we’re definitely not giving up and there’s a lot of fight left in this dog,” Dowd said.
Junior Claire Hoadley made a clear impact on Saturday night, especially in the early games when Gardiner had control. She spoke about being a leader on a young, less-experienced team.
“I think it’s definitely about communication, supporting each other on and off the court,” Hoadley said. “Just trying to build that trust and really just getting to know them. I want the younger players to feel comfortable coming to me, and giving me feedback if I need it. And [receiving] feedback, so we can help each other out.”
Hoadley said the team’s defense and confidence have improved. Teammates are communicating better and showing trust in the person beside them.
“I am just really grateful to have this group of girls, to be able to play with them is such a blessing,” Hoadley said.
Senior Ella Meredith also makes an impact every match, and she racked up kills on Saturday.
As a freshman and sophomore, she said she struggled to keep her composure. She’s focused on being positive this season, to set a good example and help younger players learn.
“One of our mottos is smile. Because this is just high school volleyball, you know… We want to have fun, and it sucks when we lose. But I think smiling is one of the big things. And having fun, because people make mistakes and you just have to get over it,” Meredith explained.
The team is practicing keeping their energy high and avoiding quiet stretches, she added.
Coach Dowd also recognizes this is a quieter group of girls, and it’s been a challenge for many players to step up as vocal leaders.
“I think Claire does a really good job of staying positive and bringing the team together after every point. I think Ella leads a lot by example and her determination to win, and hard work… you see leadership coming out of Lily [Turner], as our sophomore setter… out of Aubrey [Farr], our junior libero. You know, they’re all stepping out of their comfort zone a little.”
Homecoming
On Saturday, the Big Horns will face Broadwater High School (Townsend) for homecoming night. Townsend is set for a playoff run.
For homecoming, Meredith looks forward to seeing if they improve against Townsend—currently the top team in the league, she pointed out.
“I’m looking forward to a really hard, competitive game,” Hoadley said. “Townsend’s pretty good, but I think it will be really fun. And playing against a really good team makes us play harder.”
