Over-Confident Cougars Win Streak Snapped.

Alan Hoshida
South Bay SportingNews

The Christopher High Lady Cougars were coming off, certainly, the biggest win in the program’s brief history. Many Christopher High athletes, coaches, facility, student would argue it was the school’s biggest, historic in varsity sports. The Cougars, just four days earlier had beaten their cross town rivals, Gilroy High, in a varsity sport for the first time ever; not only did they beat…they swept them three sets to none. Needless-to-say, the Lady Cougars were flying high and confident going into their first league match of the season against the Monte Vista Christian Mustangs…maybe a bit over confident?

CHS was off their game from the very 1^st first – their passes weren’t clean, sluggish, surprised. They had just won seven in a row but MVC is no team to take lightly. They came into the match with already 9 wins on the young season, poised to make a run at the MBL league title. The Mustangs swept the cougars in 3 straight sets (25-17, 25-21, 25-16), giving the Cougars more then they could hand defensively. Senior, Outside Hitter, Britta Blaser led MVC with 15 kills, making the defense play passive.

Following a sloppy first set, filled with the in ability to execute, Christopher bounced back and played tough through the 2^nd set just falling shorts. However, set three is really when Blasser made her presence felt. The Cougars, youthful team only 4 seniors, how’d that even though they still had a big win streak; they still have a lot to learn. Olvera surprising truthfulness shows that the team may not have played to their best ability but they weren’t making excuses.

After a huge win like the Cougars had against Gilroy, there is always the looming threat of a “hangover” – a team does not find the fire for the next game, letting their guard down, and loose handily. Coach Tom Schatz knows of the old sports cliche but wasn’t having any of it when talking about his teams’ performance.

Coach Schatz got his team refocused with the vast majority of league matches still ahead. The Lady Cougars bounced back nicely the next 3 matches with a combined 9 set win to only one loss. They are now 11-6 overall and 3-1 in the MBL. This weekend CHS will be competing in the Live Oak Dig Pink Tournament in Morgan Hill, CA.