Saints volleyball off to strong start at NWAACCs

The Saints volleyball team started aggressively Thursday in its quest for the NWAACC Championship, defeating the Clark Penguins in straight games as the tournament opened in the MHCC gym.

The Saints, co-champions of the Southern Region, won 25-19, 25-18, 25-19, setting up a 10 a.m. second-round match today against Shoreline Community College. Results were unavailable at press time.

If the Saints defeat Shoreline, they would play again at 6:30 p.m. this evening. If they lose, they would play again today at 3 p.m.

The championship match will be 3 p.m. Sunday in the MHCC gym.

The Clark Penguins, who finished the regular season in the third position in the Western Region with an 8-4 record and a 14-16 record overall, came ready to battle. But the Saints were hungrier, anxious to shed memories of the two consecutive NWAACC championship second-place finishes in the ’09 and ’10 seasons.

Game one showed a dominant Saints team, who put down five consecutive unanswered points. The Penguins battled back, staying within a few points of the Saints, only to drop momentum and lose the game 25-19.

Game two showed a resilient Penguins team that took full advantage of the Saints sloppy defense and errors. MHCC made what could have been a quick game stretch out, with the Saints diving and rolling for loose balls, dropping the focus that head coach Chelsie Speer says is crucial in any match.

“It’s all about mental toughness,” she said. “You can’t control the play of the other team, but with 100 percent attitude and effort, you have control of at all times,” said Speer.

That toughness carried the Saints through games two and three en route to the victory.

The Saints still have a long road ahead before clinching the title that has narrowly eluded them in the past. Ultimately, it will be tests of wills, with heavy-hitters in the conference who look to dominate like the Linn-Benton Roadrunners.

Shoreline, the Saints next opponent, is the number one seed from the North. The Roadrunners, co-champions with the Saints from the South, are neck and neck in physical talent with the Saints and won two out of three regular season matches with MHCC. The Roadrunners, who Speer picked as the team to beat this season, would meet the Saints Saturday afternoon if both teams remain unbeaten.

For the Saints, they will take it one game at a time. With a handful of very skilled teams in the tournament, it’s anyone’s game. But, the result is not the main area of focus, Speer said. “”The end result does not define a team; it’s about the journey.”