Garden City shows resilience in Wyoming
Torrington, Wyoming-While the Broncbusters continue to show signs, Jacquelynne Matula's team dropped their 10th match in a row Saturday, falling in straight sets to Western Nebraska 11-25, 17-25 and 15-25 at the Wyo-Nebraska Tournament.
"It's taking longer than we thought to get this together, but these girls will get there," Matula said. "They're fighting every match."
Garden City's (2-14, 0-3) record is very deceiving because they have played a daunting schedule. Saturday's showdown with the fourth-ranked Cougars was no different.
Western Nebraska won their 11th straight match to improve to 17-2.
The first set was there for the taking early on before the Cougars went on a nine-point service run that turned a 10-8 Western Nebraska lead into a 20-8 margin. Garden City scored only three out of the final 18 points.
The second set played out nearly the same way with the Cougars holding a narrow 6-5 edge early in the frame. But a 7-1 run make it 13-6 sparked by Aneta Faksova and Brooke Kaawa, who eventually powered Western Nebraska to the finish line.
In the third set, the Broncbusters were down 11-10 before Syenna Masaki hammered home a kill that started a run of 10 straight points. Garden City never recovered.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I think we wait too long to take the match," Matula said.
Bailey Martinez led the way with 19 digs while Shaney Tiumalu and Abigail Skeeler added four kills apiece.
The Broncbusters dropped their first match on Saturday to Northwest College in four sets 25-23, 17-25, 20-25 and 20-25. Tiumalu had 12 kills and nine digs. On Friday, Garden City lost in three vs. Western Wyoming in three and dropped a tough five-set match to Eastern Wyoming in the opener, rallying back from 2-0 down to force a deciding frame.
Garden City is back on the road Monday, Sept. 18 at Pratt, 6:30 p.m. match time.