HOT SPRINGS – The week started out in rough fashion for the Lady Savage Heat of Hot Springs but they finished with a solid performance at a tournament in Arlee full of stiff competition from around the region. The team lost in straight sets to Noxon 25-8, 25-14 and 25-12 but according to Head Coach Alisha Pablo the match did feature some bright spots for the future of the team.

“The freshmen did amazing,” said Pablo. “They stepped up and that was very promising for us. Their passing was really good and they were aggressive. They kept the game going.”

The two freshmen on the team are Makenzi Skellenger and Sophia Jeffries. The team next faced some significant competition during a tournament in Arlee. The Spike-It Tourney featured teams from around the region including a few that have yet to lose a match this season.

“We got dealt some pretty tough teams,” said Pablo. “We played two undefeated teams and we played really well.”

The Lady Savage Heat placed fifth out of 16 teams in the Spike-It tourney. Coach Pablo said the team rebounded from the match against Noxon earlier in the week and regained some of their poise and control.

“Their communication was a lot better. The passing was tremendous and they were hitting well,” said Pablo. “It was good to see. I think they finally came back together as a team.”

The team from Hot Springs next faced St. Regis on Tuesday. Pablo said she was expecting the team to be a challenge for the Lady Savage Heat.

“They placed second in the last tournament so they are looking good. Their service is really good,” said Pablo.

Working on their defense and focusing on suppressing the strong service from St. Regis was the game plan for Coach Pablo going into Tuesdays game.

“We are going to be working on our serve receive, our coverage of the court and our defense,” said Pablo.

Scores for the Hot Springs versus St. Regis match were not available at time of press.