Nine Straight Losses

Maclay vs Chiles Volleyball Match

Photo by Laura Zaidan/Maclay Andalusian

Disappointment strikes again for the Maclay volleyball team on Tuesday, Oct. 10, as they lost for the ninth straight time against Chiles, only having won two sets in their past nine matches. The Marauders have had a choppy season and have made several errors when playing against Chiles. The Marauders will have to wait another season to beat Chiles, which is something that has not been done since 2017. However, they are putting the loss behind them as they prepare for the playoffs.

The Marauders' confident spirit diminished after Chiles came out hot leaving the Marauders with only 23 combined points in the first two sets. Despite this, they wowed the fans after their close third set battle that wounded up a 25-21 Chiles victory.

“I think we definitely have room to improve when it comes to a powerful offensive team like Chiles,” junior Gray Burleson said. “I do, however, think we played well in executing the game plan and taking 21 points in the last set.”

The team has had a hard time controlling their frustration when losing early on, which can result in them losing a match. While they only want what is best for the team, the girls are working towards building up a more positive attitude so they can come out on top. Out of their ten losses this season, they have lost the first set nine times and lost the second set nine times as well.

“We need to stay more consistent with our wins; we're a very good team,” junior Kayla Iarossi said. “However, we do get down on ourselves once we lose a few points.”

Due to the tough competition, playing a 6A school has never been easy for Maclay. Nonetheless, the Marauders are never an easy opponent, especially with their style of play and talented roster.

“It’s definitely challenging playing a 6A team like that, but I think we did well with our consistency and game plan,” Burleson said.

The Marauders attempted to battle through the difficulties they endured early in the match and tried their best to come out victorious.

“In the future, we just need to stay on our feet and make sure to not get so down after losing a few points,” Iarossi said.

The Marauders look to learn from their rough loss and use the match to fuel them against their upcoming opponents. While they may have lost this game, the Marauders still have time to achieve any goals they may have before playoffs begin.