Mental lapses costly

After an error, a Missouri Baptist kill or a poor serve, the Columbia College volleyball team acted the same way in its 21-30, 19-30, 30-22, 25-30 loss to the Spartans on Saturday in the finals of the Region V Tournament.

Whoever made the mistake put her hand up and took responsibility as the other five players looked dejected and listless as they walked to their defensive position and got ready for the next point.

The Cougars lost to Missouri Baptist in the Region V Championship game for the second straight year after being regional champions in the first four years of coach Melinda Wrye-Washington’s tenure. The Cougars clinched a berth in the national tournament when they beat William Jewel, so Saturday’s loss will only affect the Cougars’ seeding in the national tournament which begins Nov. 29 at Southwell Complex.

During the first, second and fourth games, when the Cougars were losing, there was little chatter among teammates. Senior defensive specialist Shari Tuttle said players need to have a more aggressive attitude and make sure to keep talking to each other.

“In the third game we got excited, even though we were making errors, we were still talking, still communicating,” Tuttle said. “That’s what we lacked in the first, second and fourth games, we started yelling; ‘you shut down and you turn away’ ... that’s been a problem all season, but when it happens, we always play horrible.”

Wrye-Washington said the team’s attitude was too laid back even in the locker room before the game.

“Gameplan-wise, skill-wise, we had all the tools, we have everything that we need, but mentally we just didn’t come to play the game,” Wrye-Washington said. “I knew in the locker room, pregame. I saw their faces; I saw them come in; I saw the way they looked and how they just sat back in their chairs in the locker room, nobody was ready to play.”

The malaise before the game and the lack of communication during it is something that cannot be fixed by any individual effort, Tuttle said the entire team needs to be more intense and more talkative on the court.

“Everybody has to be doing it (talking),” Tuttle said. “Even if you’re having a bad game, your goal should be to pick each other up and keep talking.”

The Cougars’ poor performance was a stark contrast to their play the night before as they swept William Jewell 30-23, 30-25, 30-25 in thesemifinals.

Wrye-Washington said the team’s focus could have been affected by the campus being closed for fall break, but that was not a valid excuse.

“I don’t know how to get them up six times, a region championship should get them up by itself,” Wrye-Washington said.

Region V Honors: After Saturday’s game, sophomore setter Luana Branco, sophomore outside hitter Rael Rotich and sophomore outside hitter Yi Zhang were named First-team All-Region. Branco was also named the region’s Setter of the Year and Wrye-Washington was the region’s Coach of the Year.