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- Junior Emma Berger bunts the ball during a home match against Norwood Tuesday, Sept. 13.
by Gloria Li
The Tigers won 3-0 against Natick with their exceptional serving Thursday, Oct. 6, at home.
Despite this being their third game in a row this week and the fact that the Tigers were required to come back after an early release, they were able to concentrate on the court.
The Tigers used their agility and their teamwork to spike the ball over to receivers that were very responsive during the three games.
During the first game, the Tigers won 25 to 15, during the second they won 25 to 12, beating Natick more than 2 to 1 and during the third, they won 25 to 16.
At one point during the third game, the Natick setter, number 28, kept the ball in play when the libero bumped it backward on court by kicking it forward.
Nevertheless, the Tigers won the play because they were able to return the ball.
Despite the victory, the Tigers are still attempting to improve. They are working out kinks in the defense structure, according to senior Laurie Kamenetsky, a capain with the rest of the seniors on the team.
“We have good consistency in serving that carries us through most games, and Natick isn’t particularly intimidating since all they do is tip the ball, which is easy to read,” Kamenetsky said.
She said she thinks that the players do not usually have much trouble on court and that they tend to keep passing to team members precise.
Coach Richard Barton said, “our team was focused and sharp today, they hit powerfully and made strategic offensive plays.”
The Tigers officially made it into tournament with the victory of this game.
“I believe that we demonstrated our legitimacy of first place today,” Barton said.
According to Barton, the Tigers do not always beat Natick; it was not until recent years that they started to do so. “Natick usually won in the past, but this was definitely the proper outcome today,” he said.
Coming into the game, Natick’s record was 9-1, strong and consistent in the league. After this, their record is now 9-2, while the Tigers remain undefeated.