Goshen College hosted Taylor University last night in their first conference match up of the 2011 season.
Before the game, Goshen had a perfect record at home with 3-1 versus Taylor’s 4-2. The number 15 ranked Taylor played a tough match finding many openings in the court, allowing them to take home a 3-0 victory.During the first match, the Leafs held on while the Trojans neared game point. The Leafs scored four additional points to hold Taylor at 24, but lost 20-25.
In the second match, the Leafs held a lead above the Trojans but little mistakes allowed the Trojans to catch up. The teams were neck-and-neck for a short time but the Trojans managed to gain significant ground with a final score of 17-25.
The final match created much excitement amongst the crowd as the Leafs fought for the lead behind senior right-side hitter, Kate Yoder. Although they had many good plays to close in the score, the Trojans triumphed with a 21-25 victory.
“They are a veteran team,” said Jim Routhier, third-year head coach for the Leafs. “They’ve got that consistency and they’re very accurate with everything. That’s a big thing we’re learning. We started four freshman and they get a little better each time. I tell the kids not to hang their heads. By the end of the season, we’ll be able to win.”
Routhier hopes to improve the team’s consistency with passes, as well as making smarter hits around the opposing team’s blocks in time for their next home match up on Sept. 9 when they take on number 22 ranked Indiana Wesleyan.
