GACC drops matches to Wayne and O'Neill

The GACC Volleyball team went 0-2 this week, losing 3-0 at home to Wayne Tuesday night, and falling 3-1 at O'Neill Thursday night.

The Blue Devils took the opening set 25-14, the second set 25-19, and the third set 25-6.

Ally Plagge led the way with 37 digs while Riley Throener notched 28. Meghan Brunsing totaled 20 while Hanna Knobbe registered 17. Kali Stratman recorded 10 digs and 15 set assists.

The Eagles won set one 25-20, and set two 25-14 before the Bluejays took set three 25-17. O'Neill closed out the match with a 25-18 win in set four.

Throener had a team-high 13 kills and compiled 8 digs. Plagge had 9 kills while Knobbe posted 14 digs. Stratman dished out 18 set assists.

Solid defense against Wayne and solid offense against O'Neill...just not enough of both in both matches to win.

GACC (3-6) travels to Homer (1-10) to take on the Knights Tuesday night.

Homer lost 3-0 at Ponca Thursday night.

The Bluejays have three matches next week that they can win.

I feel GACC has a chance to be .500 after next week is all said and done.

The Bluejays then get into the meat of their schedule after that, but a few wins next week could do a lot for GACC's confidence, in my opinion.

The Bluejays just need to get back at it in practice and be ready to go Tuesday night.

GACC should sweep Homer, no questions asked.

The Bluejays then have Oakland-Craig and Arlington in a home Triangular on Thursday, and I feel GACC can and should beat both of those teams too.

The Bluejays could really use a few wins with back-to-back road matches at Bishop Neumann and Hartington Cedar Catholic the following week. GACC is also at Battle Creek the week after that.

The road certainly isn't easy after next week for the Bluejays so the need to play well right now is at an all-time high, in my opinion.

Wayne and O'Neill are very good teams, and GACC will see more teams just as good and better than those two, and may even face the Blue Devils and Eagles in the Mid-State Conference Tournament at the end of the season.

There's a lot of room for growth and improvement with this team, and the Bluejays have to keep improving and start winning more to give themselves a chance to get back to state.

Clarkson/Leigh is having a very nice season, and could very well be GACC's biggest threat in subdistricts.

That's a long ways off yet though so the Patriots need to focus on the present, and do everything they can to win every one of their matches next week.

Three wins next week would be just what the Bluejays need, in my opinion.