18U Flame Battles to Silver Bracket in Geneva! (3/10/24)

Another snowy Sunday morning in Geneva, and our 18R FLAME showed up strong, despite missing some key contributors. “Part of the club Volleyball season means adjusting to changes and suprises,” said Club Director Gary Underwood,” and the 18s did extremely well this Sunday with so many challenging factors.

Would it be the snowy weather and slippery route?

Could the time-change and losing an hour of sleep slow us down?

Was it the rotation-shuffle against one of the best teams in Ohio, Club Extreme’s 18R Sapphire team (ranked #3 heading into Sunday)?

Rogue330’s 18R didn’t flinch at any of those things. They played tough and really pushed Sapphire in a second set that either team could have won. They fought hard against Thunder VBC and then brought home a memorable and well-deserved victory against Buffalo VBC in the third pool match. Serving runs by Natalie Gasper, Ally Altmayer, and Ava Snyder kept the momentum going for Rogue.

“It was great to have Jenna (Eddy) and Ally (Altmayer) back for this weekend,” said Underwood. “They add so much hustle, experience, and leadership to this team, and it was great to see them rise up against a very-stacked pool here at SPIRE.” Jenna and Mandeki L’Bert-Kaalima took turns setting up the hitters for action. Ava Snyder, Adyson Thomas, Kari Eves, and Ady Stearn had some terrific blocks and hits for Rogue throughout the day. Lilly Samaco, playing “up” from the 16s team, was all over the court helping cover and making consistent plays for the team.

Our teams are learning to be flexible, work together, and stay aggressive no matter what the scoreboard says or the lineup looks like. Underwood added, “It sure helps when you have players that can do so many things. Ava Snyder is like a swiss-army-knife. She can play anywhere on the court and makes a big impact – it’s fun to watch!”

Rogue’s 18s went on to play in the Silver Bracket, and lost a heartbreaking game against Club Extreme’s Diamond 18R team. Here’s yet another rematch to look forward to in April, and Rogue will be ready.