Lovell JV netters sweep Thermop, Worland

The Lovell High School junior varsity volleyball team – JV1 -- had another successful week on the court last Thursday and Friday, sweeping Thermopolis and Worland.

In their final home contest Thursday, the Lady Bulldogs beat Thermop 25-9, 25-14.

“Thermop struggled, but I was proud the girls played a good, solid game,” coach Jennifer Hessenthaler said. “At times we’ve played down to the level of the competition, so our goal was to stay high energy the whole game and play our game. The girls executed nicely, with very few errors.”

The Lady Bulldogs then played a thrill at Worland Friday, winning 25-27, 25-21, 34-32.

“The Worland game was amazing,” Hessenthaler said. “They improved a lot since we played them the first time. The third game was insane. We would have game point and make an error, then Worland would get the ball back and score a point. Then we would get the ball back. There were so many times that both teams had game point.

“Both teams were playing great volleyball, but in the end we ended up winning by two. I was so proud of their grit and determination. The game was very long, with a lot of long volleys. No matter what the circumstances were, the girls never seemed rattled or nervous. They wanted to win badly, and they did whatever it took to get the job done. They played scrappy in the back row, and our front row dominated at the net with both blocking and hitting.”

Hessenthaler said she is pleased with how her team, JV1, is playing as the season winds down as shown by the third set against Worland.

“I am so proud of how they played as a team,” she said. “They communicate well and have developed great team chemistry. They are each other’s biggest fans. They celebrate each other’s accomplishments and bring each other up after a mistake.

“All of these factors helped them win the game. It will probably be one of my favorite games for a long time to come. I’ve never seen so many points scored in a game.”

JV2 splits

The Junior Varsity 2 team won a close match against Thermopolis at home Thursday night. After dropping the first set 25-23, they came back to win the next two, 25-20, 25-15.

Worland did pull off a sweep against the Lady Bulldogs Friday, 25-18, 25-7.

The JV teams play at Powell to conclude the season Friday, with first serves at 4 and 5 p.m.