MUSKEGON TWP - At some point the improving Reeths-Puffer volleyball team is going to rise up and win a match that nobody expects it to win.
But that hasn’t happened yet, and it remains a point of frustration for the Rockets.
The issue is the team’s ongoing struggles with the established powers in the O-K Green conference, which has become an annual headache.
The Rockets have not beaten Caledonia, Mona Shores, Byron Center or Jenison in the past two seasons, since the newly configured O-K Green conference was formed. They were 0-8 against those teams last season, and are 0-6 so far this year. All 14 matches have been lost in straight sets.
R-P's Mairyn Peterson (12) tries to beat a blocker with a shot. Photo/Jeremy Clark
In a way that’s not too shocking, because all four of those teams are established Division 1 powers that have been ranked in the state over the past two years.
But the Rockets have clearly been improving. This year they have 18 wins, already six
more than last season, and came into Tuesday with victories in three of their last four matches.
They have had a lot of nice wins, using an interesting blend of experienced seniors and juniors, as well as a sophomore and two freshmen who have lots of talent.
But the results haven’t changed against the O-K Green bullies, and that continued to be the case on Tuesday, when the Rockets hosted Caledonia and fell in three sets, 25-13, 25-15, 25-11.
R-P's Lexi Danz goes high for a shot. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The Rockets are 2-6 in the O-K Green standings, with their only two victories coming over Muskegon, which has had a struggling team for quite some time. They still have two conference matches remaining, against Mona Shores and Byron Center.
Yet R-P is 18-17 overall, and it you take away the conference losses, things would really be looking up.
So how do the Rockets get over the hump? By just rising up, one of these nights, and getting it done.
“That’s what it’s going to take – for the girls to actually experience it,” said R-P Coach Justin Birr. “I don’t think we’re that far away. I think it will take happening once, even if it's just one set, for them to see that we can really do it.
R-P's Carlee Bowen dives to keep the play alive. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“Until we actually experience it, it’s hard for them to conceptualize it.”
Of course, to beat a team like Caledonia, you have to be able to handle what it does best, and the Fighting Scots have several players with wicked serves.
The visitors neutralized the Rockets will a bunch of aces on Tuesday, and it made all the difference, according to Coach Birr.
“When we huddled after the game, we talked about what we didn’t do to prepare well enough, but those serves, we can’t prep for that,” he said. “We can’t replicate that in practice. We didn’t pass well tonight because they have two really good servers.
Abby Machinski gets ready to pound the ball. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“It shouldn’t have been that big of a difference, but we gave up five or six service points every set. We got caught on our heels, just because of how well they served.
“Defensively we played our butts off against a team that was a little taller, and we blocked decently well. What set them apart was the serve and pass.”
The Rockets got solid contributions from players on both ends of the age spectrum, like they have all season.
Senior Makayla Disselkoen had three kills and three blocks, senior Carlee Bowen had 10 digs, freshman Lexie Danz had three kills, four digs and two aces, and freshman Kate Tindall had eight assists, six digs and one kill.