Photos via Four Winds/Minnewaukan Volleyball Facebook
As previously covered in the Devils Lake Journal, Four Winds/Minnewaukan hosted a volleyball invitational last Saturday, Aug. 31. The Indians went 3-1 overall, finishing third out of the six teams that competed.
Here are three takeaways from the initial action.
The growth of volleyball for FW/M and North Dakota
This was one of the key takeaways FW/M head coach Brigitte Greywater had: how much volleyball has grown.
The Indians only won three matches all of last year. And they never hosted a tournament like they did to start this season. But the fact that six teams from around the state came to play in Four Winds’ home gym was something Greywater enjoyed seeing.
“The growth of volleyball, in general, in the state of North Dakota, just keeps going and going,” she said. “And so for us to get six teams, it was huge. And I appreciate people coming out on Labor Day weekend; let’s be real.”
Volleyball has grown, and so has this Indians team. Their goal was to finish in the top three, and they accomplished that. They looked like a formidable squad, not merely a participant. They had the second-best record of the six teams — technically better than second-place Dunseith, which lost two matches but won more individual sets during pool play. One of those losses came at the hands of FW/M.
They work well together
Perhaps the thing keeping the Indians so consistent throughout the day was their cohesiveness. After a few early hiccups in the first few points of the day, they cleaned things up quickly. Each girl knew her role on the court.
Siri Gourd started her freshman season strong. She was perhaps FW/M’s most aggressive hitter, and her youth showed at times with some overhit shots. But she came up with some crucial kills, and often overwhelmed the opposition with the speed at which she hit the ball.
The team was filled out by the efforts of players like her cousin, senior Ava Gourd, and junior Miya Charboneau. Gourd was possibly the player who stuck out to Greywater the most, with her importance on both sides of the ball and the amount of fun she has on the court. Charboneau, meanwhile, set the ball consistently for her teammates all day. FW/M’s offensive attack wouldn’t have worked without Charboneau, who kept things calm and collected.
With the group already meshing well, it’s now just about fine-tuning some areas and staying compact through the rest of the season.
The team showed resilience
FW/M faced three tiebreaking third sets on Saturday — and it won them all.
After winning the first two matches in three sets each, the Indians finally lost a match. They were outplayed by Turtle Mountain JV, which beat them in straight sets.
And, in what probably wasn’t their ideal scenario, they matched up against Turtle Mountain again in bracket play. Greywater only had a few minutes to help them reset.
The Indians came out with infinitely more energy in the rematch. They got out to a quick lead in each of the first two sets, and won the first one while dropping the second. So it brought them to familiar territory: a tiebreaking third set.
Yet again, this team showed its resilience by winning a set when it mattered most. Despite dropping five sets on the day, FW/M only lost one match. And after getting beaten fairly handily by Turtle Mountain, it managed to win a match against that same team.
“To match up with Turtle Mountain again, right after we did not play our best ball, that’s a mental win,” Greywater said. “Because we beat them in three. We rode a roller coaster at times. But to battle back mentally and find yourself winning, that’s all you can ask of these kids. This taught them growth.”
And with things trending in the right direction, from the prominence of the sport to the team FW/M has assembled, the Indians will look to continue the growth they’ve already shown as the season sails along.
