A strong start gradually faded for the Pen High Lakers senior boys volleyball team against the Kelowna Secondary School Owls.
After taking the first set at Pen High Wednesday night 25-21, the Lakers lost 20-25, 24-26 and 19-25.
“I feel like we kind of dominated in the first set,” said Laker power Nick Everton. “We let up a little bit in the second and third. It was pretty close but it didn’t go our way. It kind of got us down in the fourth.”
Everton said they served and blocked well for the most part, but added their passing could have been better. In the fourth set, Everton agreed that their energy level didn’t match the Owls.
“It wasn’t too bad of a set. We definitely could have kept our energy up to bring us back into the set,” he said. “As they started to get more sets on us, momentum went their way and they started energizing.”
Lakers coach Rob Gunning said that is an area his players have improve.
“It wasn’t the best volleyball I’ve ever seen. It shows you that we’re close,” said Gunning, whose team is ranked sixth provincially among 4A schools. That’s the No.1 team in the province. We won the first set easily. Could have had the third. We just got to be more consistent.”
The problems Gunning saw were his players making too many mistakes and not getting enough blocks.
“That’s probably the number one thing we need to improve on,” he said. “I thought we played pretty good defence. Didn’t pass as well as we would like. We’re in the conversation with the best team in the province so that’s a good thing.”
This weekend, the Lakers head to Kelowna Secondary to play in the Owls’ Best of the West senior tournament.
Lady Lakers swept by Owls
The Pen High Lakers senior girls volleyball team were handed a three-set sweep by the Kelowna Owls, 25-22, 25-14 and 25-17. Bruce McElroy, filling in for Lakers coach Andy Botero, said the Lakers, ranked ninth provincially among 4A schools, fought really well against the second ranked Owls.
“We were up 19-13 in the first set and then just found a way to lose,” said McElroy. “The girls worked hard. I don’t think they have that killer instinct yet to know when to put a team away.”
McElroy said good things came out of the match. Now that the team has seen the Owls, they know what to do better the next time they meet. The Lakers will also be going to Kelowna for the Owls tournament and then their next league match is Oct. 21 in Rutland at 5 p.m.
