The opening match of league play is typically when teams find out how they compare to each other, no matter the sport.
The Clovis North Broncos girls volleyball team made a statement that it is not to be taken lightly in their 3-1 victory over the visiting Clovis West Golden Eagles on Tuesday night to open up the teams’ TRAC schedules.
After a competitive first set that saw the Broncos win 25-19, it was the second set, the one that they lost, that showed just why the team sits with a 24-2 overall record.
The Golden Eagles had the Broncos on the ropes midway through the set, holding an 18-12 lead after 30 points and a 21-14 lead after 35.
But Broncos would not go down quietly into that good night. With a solid mixture of good net play and blistering serves, the Broncos galloped back by scoring nine of the final 13 points, eventually losing the set 25-23.
For North head coach Travis Herb, it was that finish to the set that showed the team’s resilience and ability to improve by making adjustments on the fly.
“Mental toughness is something we have been working on year round and I think that started to show there,” Herb said.
“The goal at least when you are that far down is to fix the problems, maybe steal one, but if you don’t, at least you have good flow going into that next set. We accomplished that and that was important.”
The Broncos carried that momentum seamlessly into the third set, and although the Golden Eagles proved to be more than just a formidable opponent, North took the next two sets 28-26 and 25-18 to claim the match.
Clovis North won the match with a net total of just 13 more points, proving to all in attendance that West’s 15-5 record was no fluke.
The Broncos are now tied with Buchanan atop the TRAC standings with both teams at 1-0 and each winning 3-1.
Buchanan will host the Broncos Oct. 8 in a rivalry match that could have major implications on who ends up winning the league.