Head coach Vanessa Nidiffer and her Brookings-Harbor Bruin girls volleyball team were on their home court for the final time this season Thursday evening, taking on the 8-1 Cascade Christian Lady Challengers who made the trip to the coast from Medford.
The powerful Lady Challengers struggled with the Bruin girls early in the first set, with the Bruin girls taking an early 8-7 lead, keeping pace with the Cascade Christian attack. The Bruin girls would stay close midway through the set, before the Cascade Christian offense would take control late to take the 14-25 first set win.
In the second set, the Bruin girls would again keep pace early neutralizing play at the net and defensively getting the ball back over the net forcing Cascade Christian mistakes again keeping the score close 6-7 early in the set.
A hustling Bruin girl defense would scramble their way to an 18-18 tie late in the second set, and would continue to keep pace late before the Lady Challengers would get the 21-25 win to take a two set lead.
In the third set, a confident relaxed Cascade Christian team would establish themselves taking a 1-6 lead early in the set. The Bruin girls would trail in the third set, but a stubborn Bruin girls defense would fight for every point before the Lady Challengers would secure the 12-25 win, completing the three set win.
“I was proud of how the girls played as a team tonight.” coach Nidiffer said after the match. “The score didn’t reflect it, but they played very competitively with Cascade. Ella was on fire in the front row and we were able to dig quite a few of their hits. Cascade is always a tough team.”
The Bruin girls will be on the road next Tuesday, traveling to Grants Pass to challenge the 3-6 Lady Trojans with the first serve set for 6:00pm in what is the Bruins girls final regular season game.
