Lady Rebels honor their seniors, but drop two conference matches

Senior Night was on the minds of the Riverside Lady Rebels as they prepared to play Burlington Friday, Oct. 17 in their final conference home match of the season.

It was a bittersweet evening, showcasing seniors Johnna Clifford, Varissa Olsen and Brooklynn Paxton, who have worked so hard at a sport they love. But the Lady Rebels didn’t get the outcome they desired, falling to the Huskies in 3 sets, 25-17, 25-20, 25-14.

“Since the moment (the three seniors) joined the program, they have been eager to put time into the game to learn and grow,” said Coach Cindi Smith. “We have so many great memories of each of them. However, the greatest part of coaching these girls has been spending time together, building a strong team family. They’ve learned the value of working together, building trust and unity and believing in each other. We are proud of the integrity they show on and off the court.

“In addition, Brooklynn was honored with reaching 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. These are exceptional honors to achieve. Her commitment to the game and countless hours of hard work make reaching these milestones possible. Brooklynn is a dedicated volleyball player that has brought the love of the sport to our court since she was a freshman.”

The Lady Rebels traveled to Dubois on Saturday and suffered losses there as well, by scores of 25-8, 25-18, 26-24.

“It’s always disappointing to lose to conference opponents,” said Smith. “Our court play this weekend wasn’t at the level we wanted. We know what we are capable of and will continue to work to show it in our play. Communication, consistency and staying aggressive was a struggle.

“We will pull together as a team and work on fine tuning our skills to be ready to step on the court and play to our fullest potential. It is important for us to use the final week of competition this season to prepare for post season play.”

Only serving statistics were available from last weekend’s matches.  Riverside served at an accuracy clip of 85% against Burlington, with Cachelynn Forshee and Kalli Russell at 100%, and at 89% against Dubois, with Clifford joining Forshee in the 100% club.