Trailblazer News

Regional Tournament Recap

On Friday, the Lady Trailblazers opened up the tournament against Appalachian Bible College. In a long, five game match, OCU survived with a win. Marlaina Shotsky totaled 28 kills and 27 digs, while Richelle Stewart finished with 26 digs. Head Coach Wes Brothers had this to say about the match: "We came out strong in games one and two. We were passing the ball well, playing our positions on defense, and running a solid offense. In the third and fourth game, we let up and lost focus. The match stretched us and challenged the team to overcome the lack of focus that nearly gave the match to the Warriors. This was a rough way to start the regional tournament; however, I was really pleased with our ability to overcome mental obstacles."

On Friday night, OCU advanced to play Johnson Bible College. The Lady Blazers won the match in four games, with Shotsky leading the team again with 27 kills and 26 digs. Brittany Martin added 15 kills, and Whitney Pontius finished with 46 assists. Coach Brothers said, "That first game was critical in winning the match. Bolstered by a sizeable home crowd, Johnson really stepped up their play. Throughout the match, I felt the team was playing solid; however, we were unable to really run away with it. The Trailblazers squeaked out this match and relieved some of the pressure they felt going into this tournament as the #1 seed."

On Saturday in the semi-finals, OCU defeated Crown College in four games. Shotsky finished with 16 kills and 36 digs, while Martin added 14 kills and 20 digs. "This match displayed great teamwork by the Trailblazers as everyone contributed their talents," said Brothers. "Each player raised their level of play and displayed the kind of focus that was common throughout the regular season regional matches. Other than dropping one game, I was really pleased with the team's effort in this match."

In the championship match, OCU faced a resilient KCU team and was defeated in three games. Martin led the Lady Trailblazers' offensive attack with 15 kills, while Shotsky added 13 kills and 19 digs. Pontius tallied 34 assists, as well. Coach Brothers had this to say about the match: "We came into this match strong and held the lead in the first game from the beginning until the middle part of the game. Kentucky Christian exhibited great heart during the first game and was able to capture the lead and finish. The Knights came out strong in the second game and we had trouble setting up an offense. They took advantage of several free balls and this really made the difference. We recaptured our mental strength in the third game to keep it close, but were unable to provide an adequate defense to help our attack. As with every match we played this year, the match against KCU was another opportunity to give God the glory and I felt both teams did just that!"