ONTARIO, Ore. — The Big Bend Community College Vikings (4-6) had a strong showing on the road as they won in three sets over the Treasure Valley Chukars (5-10). The matchup was competitive between the two teams with each set coming close until the very end. 

“It was an incredible win,” said Vikings Head Coach Lindsey Linthicum. “So much energy, so much joy and just a lot of fun to watch for the girls.” 

In the first set, the Vikings started strong, but Treasure Valley battled to keep even. Big Bend gained the lead and later in the set to win 25-20.

BBCC had even more momentum in the second set where they dominated on the court. Treasure Valley battled hard once again, but the Vikings claimed victory 25-18. 

The final set came close between the two teams with the Vikings and Chuks battling out throughout the set, eventually leading to a 25-25 tie. BBCC rallied for the final two points to close out the game with a 27-25 win. 

Linthicum said throughout each set, the Vikings showed drive on the court to keep going, which was something to be very proud of. 

“You could just see the growth even from last week to this week,” said the coach. “They got into a couple of situations where Treasure Valley made a comeback and either tied the game up or they started leading the set by one to two points. It was so cool to see the girls just come into the middle of the court, have this reset moment and get the point back and start the drive again.” 

The energy is both on the court and from the bench, said Linthicum. In tough situations, she felt the cheers and support from the sideline really helped boost the players on the court. 

She said the team has cultivated this energy over the past month as the Vikings players have started to grow more confident in themselves and each other. 

“You can see in their body language they have that belief,” said Linthicum. “You can see the joy illuminating from their bodies now when they’re playing and it shows even in their mistakes. They just look and they smile about it and they say, ‘I’m going to get the next one.’ It’s incredible from one week to the next seeing that lift off.” 

Maintaining strong communication on the court has also been key to their success, especially in Wednesday’s victory. The coach said she saw her players communicating all across the court, which led to more connected hits and blocks. 

Linthicum said the girls were also actively making different adjustments on the court and responding to their needs depending on the situation.  

“They were literally making Treasure Valley work in different ways and different avenues, but then they were finding the ways to make it work for them as well,” she said.  

Big Bend has developed significantly during the early half of the season as they’ve grown more confident in each game and each practice. The coach said it’s ignited a competitive spark among her players as they have pushed themselves further at practice, finding specific aspects of the game they individually want to improve on. 

“They have this drive about them of, ‘No, we are more than what others say about us. We are more than what we say about ourselves when we have a mistake,’” said Linthicum. “You just see a little bit more tenacity coming out of these girls. I’m definitely seeing how they’re bringing that all together to make a cohesive flow on the court.” 

Big Bend is preparing for a long stretch of home games against tough competition. The coach said she is excited for the upcoming challenge and is confident in what the Vikings can accomplish. 

“Because of (Wednesday) night and how the girls have been battling and are seeing a little bit more within themselves, they’re ready to fight and they’re ready to take on these battles and go for the win,” said Linthicum. 

The Vikings return home Friday to face Columbia Basin at 6 p.m. 

BOX SCORE 

BBCC: 25-25-27: 3 

TRVL: 20-18-25: 0