Tigers Volleyball Push Past Newcomb, Even Record at 3-3
Story by Walter Dorman
Photo by Cyndi Cnergy IMAGES
The Aztec Lady Tigers volleyball team moved to 3-3 on the season Tuesday night after defeating the Newcomb Skyhawks 3–1 in a strong performance at home. Aztec took the opening set 25-19, dropped a close battle in the second 26-24, and then dominated the final two sets 25-11, 25-11 to secure the victory.
Head coach Anna Strauss said she was most impressed with the Tigers’ chemistry and serving, which set the tone for the win.
“One of our goals was to work on our serving because that’s an area we’ve been inconsistent with, and they really stepped up their game,” Strauss said. “Ava Poyer had nine aces in the game, and we got on some really good serving runs with that. Khloe Schmidt and Riley Yoakum were dominant at the net—Khloe had eight kills and Riley had 10. The whole team just had really good chemistry, and I was really impressed with that.”
After Newcomb rallied to take the second set, Strauss credited her team for responding with toughness and composure.
“Volleyball is a game of adversity and mistakes, but our girls were mentally tough,” Strauss said. “Usually a team could just lay down, but they fought back. They said, ‘We’re not going to lose.’ They covered for each other, communicated better on the court, and the bench brought great energy. That was the big difference.”
Strauss added that serving was a key factor in Aztec’s dominance in three of the four sets.
“If you can serve tough and aggressive, and serve the other team out of system, that’s huge. Volleyball is a head game too, and our energy on the serve really played a big part in the win.”
At 3-3, Strauss said she likes where her young team is headed.
“I told the kids, right now people might be calling us the underdogs. Let’s just be that scrappy team that proves people wrong. Let’s work hard and show up every game.”
She noted the biggest improvement so far has been in confidence and chemistry, especially with younger players adjusting to the varsity level.
“We have a lot of brand-new kids in the back row coming up from JV, and the pace is so much quicker at varsity,” Strauss said. “They’re starting to believe in themselves, and that confidence is making a difference.”
Looking ahead to district play, Strauss said the focus will be on continuing to sharpen fundamentals.
“We’ve got to keep building on our serving and passing, because it’s such a domino effect—everything builds on each other,” she said. “If each player keeps improving and believing in themselves, it builds team positivity, and that will help us succeed the rest of the season.”
Next up for the Tigers will host Thoreau Sept. 16th 6pm.
