Team wins three-set thriller against Fort Worth Fire to advance to gold playoffs
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RENO >> The Never Say Die 16s club volleyball team reached the gold bracket of the Far Western Championships, a three-day tournament that opened Friday and concluded Sunday at the Reno Convention Center.
A total of 559 teams (16s and 17s) participated.
Never Say Die went 2-1 and finished in a three-way tie for first in bracket play but moved to the next round as a second-place team based on a tiebreaker. Again finishing 2-1, Never Say Die finished in a tie with Fort Worth Fire out of Texas for the final available berth into the gold bracket, forcing a playoff. Fort Worth Fire dominated Never Day Die in the first set, winning 25-15, and had a commanding 23-10 in the second set before Never Say Die rallied for a 26-24 win. Never Say Die went on to win a back-and-forth third set 15-12 to reach the gold bracket.
“We took our last timeout (trailing 23-10) and I told them we aren’t playing back, they are just really good, so we need to pick it up a notch and have that Never Say Die attitude,” head coach Marci Psalmonds said. “Jordyn (Wurm) stepped up to the line, and I had her spot serve it to some of the weaker passers, and we reeled off 10 straight points (five of them aces) to make it 23-20.”
Key kills from Moana Chamberlin (13 kills) and Liv Bushey (six kills) as well strong net play from Madison Byrne (four blocks) helped Never Say Die narrow the deficit to 24-21.
With Grace Peterson at the service line and Never Say Die facing match and set points, Never Say Die scored five straight points to win the set.
“In set three it was back and forth,” Psalmonds said. “Both teams battled hard with a lot of long rallies that consisted of hard hits and a lot of digs.”
Psalmonds, the longtime volleyball head coach at both Upper Lake and Clear Lake high schools and now the assistant head coach at Mendocino College, called it one of the best wins of her coaching career.
“It was a lot of fun to watch and witness,” Psalmonds said of the comeback victory. “One of the best highlights of my coaching career. As a team we had 92 digs.”
Fort Worth Fire went on to win the silver division while Never Say Die advanced into the gold bracket playoffs as the No. 15 seed.
Club 16 Solano Maroon, the No. 2 seed, beat Never Say Die in two sets in the first round of the gold bracket playoffs.
“We had a lot of long rallies with them, but they overpowered us,” Psalmonds said. “Even though we ended on that loss, the girls played great and I am proud of how far they have come.”
Never Say Die recorded 536 digs during the weekend along with 172 kills, 143 assists, 51 aces and 23 blocks.
“Those are crazy stats for a weekend of volleyball,” Psalmonds said.
The Never Say Die 16s play their final tournament of the season over Memorial Day weekend in Long Beach. The Never Say Die 15s and 18s travel to Reno this coming weekend along with another 730 teams.
