True test for Blue Jay volleyball team comes today
Before Jamestown sports fans dismiss the volleyball team’s loss to West Fargo at the Class A state tournament as another Buffalo City disappointment, please remember the true test comes today against Bismarck High.
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Before Jamestown sports fans dismiss the volleyball team’s loss to West Fargo at the Class A state tournament as another Buffalo City disappointment, please remember the true test comes today against Bismarck High.
Sure, Jamestown beat West Fargo 2-0 at a tournament in the regular season, but it’s not out of the scope of reality to say the Packers may have improved that much more than the Blue Jays over the course of the season.
At noon today, Jamestown takes on the Demons, a team it swept twice in the regular season.
If Jamestown falls to Bismarck today to end its season, then it will be blatantly clear the Blue Jays struggled to cope with the pressure of the state tournament.
But if the Blue Jays can respond with a win, it stands to reason that they have figured it out and that the idea of future success at state should not be met with disdain in Jamestown.
That being said, the timidness of the Blue Jays against West Fargo was hard to miss. For the program’s sake, the Jays really need to get into the fifth-place match. They’re certainly capable.
Other notes from the first day of state in Minot:
— I’m not entirely sure what the main reason is for having a combined state tournament. I do enjoy it, though, and it’s very convenient for media to report on.
The more you spread out the sites of state tournaments, the harder it is for media. And that doesn’t seem like a big deal to a casual fan, but when it spreads us too thin, the coverage could very well suffer. And while the casual fan may not care about what’s written or said on TV; parents, players, coaches and often more serious fans in Class B towns tend to notice when their game at state is only given four paragraphs vs. a regular story. Be glad the state volleyball tournament is combined for that reason, among others.
— Another product of having a combined state tournament is the obvious difference in attendance. A short glance to the south end where the Class A matches are being played shows many more open seats. The north end of the dome has more people and serves as a reminder of just how much small towns love their spots.
Don’t confuse this for lack of caring among the people sitting in the seats on the Class A side. If they didn’t have the same passion, they wouldn’t be here.
— In terms of competition, Grand Forks Red River and Bismarck Century appear to be the real deal. But I wouldn’t sleep on West Fargo, either. Their two big middle hitters looked extremely dangerous against Jamestown.
On the Class B side, Linton-HMB had a solid day. The Lions looked like a very complete team without many weaknesses. It should be a good match against Kindred today at 6 p.m. The Vikings also won in dominating fashion behind Kellie Schmit, a UND volleyball recruit.
One thing that sticks out in Class B is the tradition. In the past 10 years, the schools at state have a combined 31 appearances. Langdon’s been to state eight times in the past decade, followed by Dickinson Trinity (6), Flasher (5), Ray (4), Linton-HMB (4), Park River-Fordville-Lankin (3) and Minot Our Redeemer’s (2). Only Kindred is at state for the first time.
— I tend not to be pessimistic. I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy and believe there is good in everyone. But it certainly makes me ashamed when people do stupid things. During the parade of athletes with the gym lights turned down low for effect before the evening session on Thursday, somebody apparently stole the adapter between cords that gave power to those in the media covering the Class B matches on press row. It’s very disappointing someone would do that. A big thanks to the Minot State maintenance man who helped restore power and also provide some comical relief to the situation: “I do have more adaptors, but if they keep stealing them, I’m gonna run out.”
Sun sportswriter Chris Aarhus can be reached at 701-952-8462 or by email at caarhus@minotdailynews.com
Tags: sports, volleyball, jays
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