Niwot High School volleyball keeps win streak alive

Before Tuesday's game against Frederick High School, the Cougars had eight sweeps in the book and were on a four-game win streak.

But the Cougars didn't play like themselves against the Golden Eagles. The lineup uncharacteristically found themselves on the wrong side of a 2-0 score after two sets, and things weren't looking positive.

By true grit and determination, the Cougars had an underdog win 3-2 (20-25, 17-25, 25-15, 25-16, 15-8) after taking the final three sets.

The problem didn't lie with the skill of the Frederick High School team, but the Niwot mindset going into the match.

"I think Tuesday (against Frederick) we started coming out really flat," defensive specialist Sami Sessa said. "So we just had no energy in the beginning and we kind of thought, 'Oh, let's just play,' and it bit us in the butt because we lost the first two sets. And then we realized we're like, okay, we need to have energy if we want to play good. So we came out here, and in the first set-we haven't had more energy than that in a long time. So I think that's what made us really dominate in the first set [on Thursday]."

Before heading into Thursday's contest against Mountain View, head coach Tony Engel talked to the roster about the close call.

"You know, most of the time we play like we practice and it was an unusual moment," he said. "So we spent a little bit of time yesterday talking about team cohesiveness, and, you know, looking each other in the eye and giving each other some confidence while we're on the court, as compared to being six players, one team. So that was important for us."

With the knowledge and reflection of Tuesday's gameplay, Thursday's match was back to business. In a quick sweep, Niwot beat Mountain View High School in three sets (25-13, 25-19, 25-13).

Engel was much happier about the desire to compete in the second half of the week. He felt as though points from the conversation shined through against the Mountain Lions.

"Well, the first set was exceptional [reflecting the conversation]," he said. "And you know, we got a little lackadaisical in the second and third sets tonight. But with the skill that we've got on the team, we're able to kind of pull them out. And we just need to be able to stay focused, like we were in set one the entire time. When we are playing against teams that might not be as physical as us, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't take it easy. You gotta be ready for those teams that are physical."

The Cougars still sit at second place in the conference with a league record of 7-1 and an overall record of 10-4.

Going into the final league game with a six-game win streak, Niwot will take on Riverdale Ridge High School, currently in sixth place, on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m.

"I think we're doing what we've kind of been doing all season," Sessa said. "We're getting ready by just playing with energy and communicating. I think our communication was a lot better than Tuesday and we're just gonna go out there and play some volleyball."