PV outplays adversity, KC tries to put pieces together
Special to the Times | Curtis Ray Benally
Kirtland Central's Gabrianna White-David (3) and Siigrid Lii'bilNaghi (9) make a defensive block at the net against Piedra Vista's Blaize Bingham in the second set on Tuesday at Farmington.
FARMINGTON
The Piedra Vista High volleyball team is no stranger to adversity.
The team has lost some players due to injuries since the start of the season, but they have managed to prevail, earning one victory at a time.
Their latest victory came Tuesday when they defeated Kirtland Central 3-0 in sets 25-23, 25-14, and 26-24.
Piedra Vista head coach Ron Becker said things haven’t been easy, but his team has found a way to win.
“A little rough – we’ve had some injury issues so it’s been pretty rough,” he said. “But they just fight and battle all the time, as much as they can, that’s great to see, that’s what will win championships, that dedication.”
Their will to win carried them through three sets over Kirtland Central.
Piedra Vista (8-1) took control of the first set but Kirtland Central (5-3) kept things close. The two teams battled as Piedra Vista held a 22-21 lead.
Some quick kills and tips put them ahead before closing the set 25-23.
Piedra Vista continued to control the momentum in the second set, jumping up front with a 5-0 lead. Kirtland Central snuck in a tip and took a mistake by Piedra Vista to trail 5-2.
But the Lady Panthers came back again, this time with a 9-0 run to lead 14-2. Piedra Vista kept the lead and never turned back. They won the second set 25-14.
Kirtland Central head coach Nadia Begay-Watson said the team was missing some players, but it was their inability to make noise on the court that got the better of them.
“A few people injured, but I just have to work with what I got. I pulled up a lot of JV players,” she said. “We got to communicate. We’re not communicating and it showed today, but they’ll find it. I am positive they will find it.”
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