Scrappy Hawks fall just short

HOUSTON -- Midway through the Houston Hawks' match with the visiting Monroe Catholic Rams Thursday night, it looked like the Hawks were in for a quick loss.

Monroe used a 9-0 run to jump out to a 19-7 lead, just minutes into the match.

Despite the early deficit, the scrappy Hawks leapt back into the match and made things interesting.

For the final three-and-a-half games of the match, the resiiliant Hawks constantly tested the 4A Rams.

In the end, Houston fell just a bit short, and the Rams slid by with a 3-1 (25-13, 20-25, 25-17, 25-23) win.

"As long as they stay positive, they stay in the games," Houston head coach Bill Sieben said. "It is easy to get down in the rally scoring, but if they stay positive, they can get back in there quickly."

Monroe built little leads throughout the match and tried to muscle the ball into gaps on the Houston side of the court. The Hawks, collectively much smaller than the Rams, spent most of the match chasing down loose balls and keeping the vollies alive.

In the end height would be the true advantage, as Ram hitters Frances Dashiell, Elizabeth Rexford and Leah Stepavich hammered down the kills to win the match.

Dashiell and Stepavich each flirt with a height of 6-feet and towered over the Hawk frontline.

Despite their lack of height, the Hawks feel like they are establishing a potential force in the middle with Courtney Elder. The middle hitter had several key plays on the night, including a solo block and three kills that helped Houston win game two and a service ace that gave the Hawks a 14-12 lead in the fourth game.

"She has been working hard getting her hands up and on the ball," Sieben said. "Once she begins to hit the ball harder, we will use her height to our advantage.