TC wins MV invite, aims for ‘memorable year’

KAYENTA

Everyone inside the Nash Center knew where the ball was going to go for the final point of the 2018 Kayenta Township MV Mustang Volleyball Invitational.

As one of Tuba City’s top threats, middle hitter Jayda Chee draws plenty of attention and on that final point she had three attempts to put the game away.

Each time though, the Snowflake Lady Lobos came up with a dig and sent the ball over the net with an attack of their own.

On the fourth try, Tuba City junior setter Gracie Henderson pushed the ball to the outside. She set the ball just above the net for Camille Secatero as the junior outside hitter gave the Warriors the winning kill to secure a hard fought 19-25, 25-16, 15-10 win.

“It was getting congested on the right side of the net,” Secatero said. “Jayda was in the middle but Gracie shot the ball to me and I saw an opening.”
That point earned the Warriors the championship trophy at the 14-team tournament hosted by Monument Valley.

“This is huge,” said Chee, who finished with a team-high nine kills. “Throughout my high school career we have never won this tournament. Even though we have some freshmen on the team they really stepped it up.”

Tuba City coach Harlan Barlow said it’s nice to have different people stepping up. And with a diverse group, he is quick to tout the number of players he can depend on to put the ball away.

“We always have someone to go to for every rotation,” he said. “Granted we do have some freshmen playing but they are just as aggressive at the net. Those freshman are coming off the middle school level but they have transitioned well.”

As a team, Tuba City finished with 31 kills headed by Chee. Freshman middle Kayelani Maiava and Secatero added seven kills.

After trading points to start the first set, Snowflake gained a little elbow room behind a 6-0 spurt in the middle of the set to go up 14-10 with senior middle hitter Chloe Lyman putting down two kills while senior Sydney Bauer added two service aces.

Tuba City did not go away as they clawed their way back and tied the game at 17-all on a kill by Chee.

Snowflake, however, used a 6-1 run to gain a 23-18 cushion behind four winners, including two by sophomore outside hitter Reagan Olsen. Tuba City got a stuff block from Chee but they tossed in two hitting errors to give the Lobos the opening set.

In the next set, Tuba City came out firing. The Warriors opened the set with an 8-3 cushion and they pushed the lead to 18-8 thanks to the 13 winners they registered.

In that rally, Chee and Maiava combined for five kills while defense specialist Gracee Curley tossed in a pair of aces.

With a 10-point cushion, Tuba City coasted from there and won 25-16.

“Momentum is everything,” Snowflake coach Alan Ramage said. “Once we got the momentum in the first set I thought we could get it quick in the second.”

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