Versus New Stuyahok Eagles

Well, we lost another match in the fifth and final game. We came back
so strong at times. We really played well. We were hustling and moving
and getting good plays. What's killing me are the points we spot the
other team.

Scoring points for the other team is one of those coaching moments that
I don't yet know how to deal with. We bump a good ball to the setter's
box, the set is perfect, and then the hit either goes long or into the
net on our side. That's a point for the other team when in reality it
is just one little miss. I can't be mad about it--they are playing
really well. The plays are being run well. Sometimes they try to smash
it from the back row with one hand. That works some of the time but
some of the time it doesn't. They try to place or set the ball right
over the net. Sometimes that falls in our favor, but sometimes it hits
the net on our side and makes it look like a bad play. These aren't bad
plays, just unlucky.

There comes a time in sports where you have to play with good luck and
bad luck. A few balls fall in your favor. A lucky bounce off a player
puts it exactly where it needs to be. A shank from one side or the
other is a point for the other team. The reality of volleyball is that
it sometimes just sucks. I still can't think of another game where a
small error on your side scores points for the other team.

I do not yell. I do not fume. I do not get all crotchedy and mean. I
let them work it out on the court. Most of the time, players that make
a mistake come back and make a fabulous play to make up for it.