- April 26, 2024
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Seabreeze hitter Malinda Messner goes for a kill over a pair of Atlantic players. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze players Harlyn Kaler and Summer O'Dwyer chat before a serve. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze's Madison Long swings at a ball. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze hitter Malinda Messner hits a ball over an Atlantic blocker. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze celebrates after a scored point. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze's Sydney Durost (No. 4) and Alex Nelson (No. 7) attempt to block a hit. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze setter Tabby Patrick sets a ball. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze's bench watches eagerly as a rally ensues in the fifth set. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze’s volleyball team played as hard as it could against an elite Spruce Creek team on Monday, Sept. 25.
Despite the effort, the Sandcrabs were swept 3-0. But with a match the very next night, Seabreeze’s team decided to do something about the loss.
“We picked ourselves up and brushed ourselves off and came into today knowing that we needed a win for the week,” Sandcrabs hitter Harlyn Kaler said. “So we decided that we weren’t leaving tonight without a win.”
After Hurricane Irma forced the postponement of the initial meeting, Seabreeze was finally able to knock off Atlantic in a five-set thriller at Seabreeze High School on Tuesday, Sept. 26.
The Sandcrabs were led by hitters Malinda Messner and Kaler, who slammed down 21 and 13 kills, respectively. Sophomore setter Tabby Patrick, who was promoted to the varsity team only recently, tallied 40 assists.
“This was important for the girls,” Seabreeze coach Tarisa Craig-Craggy said. “They work hard and Creek definitely dominated last night. But we had to come out and prove that we could bounce back. And we proved that.”
The Sandcrabs dropped the first and third sets in close-fought contests. The other three sets, however, weren’t even close. Seabreeze captured the second, fourth and fifth sets with scores of 25-11, 25-11 and 15-11.
“It was domination, for sure,” Kaler said. “I think we kind of get a little lackadaisical sometimes when we realize we really don’t wanna lose, and then we have to prove that we’re that good and we have to pick it up after that.”
Tuesday night was only part of the hurdle for Seabreeze, however, as it faces Father Lopez on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
But as the season has dragged on, a team that features three freshman in its lineup is starting to come together and a packed schedule is no excuse for losing, Craig-Craggy said.
“In the beginning, we didn’t really know each other,” she said. “We were just starting to learn each other’s game tactics. But as the season’s wore on, we’re really starting to become a family. We’re peeking at the right time. We just need to keep working.
“It’s hard and tiring for the girls, but good teams rise above it.”
