The winter sports season is officially behind us, and we can look back with satisfaction at it successes, especially the next two state championship banners that will be hoisted to the Pepin Gym rafters, courtesy of the wrestling and basketball teams. Now, it's onto coverage of all things Spring...and last night, we here at The Network got things rolling with volleyball.
How about this? Is there a better way to start our coverage of spring sports than with a Hendricken-LaSalle grudge match? Okay, it might not initially have the full-frontal combat feel of football and basketball - but, hey - when it comes right down to it, Hawks-Rams will always be Hawks-Rams.
Unfortunately, the Maroon came out on top last night. LaSalle won in four sets, 3-1, winning the first, third, and fourth matches 25-23, 26-24, and 25-11, while the Hawks took the second, 25-22. Network stalwarts Stone Freeman and Cam Brennan called all the action live, and the entire contest can be seen right here.
Video streaming by Ustream
Video streaming by Ustream
Video streaming by Ustream
Video streaming by UstreamOn the whole, the entire contest was very competitive, as the scores of the first three matches attest. The Rams did not, however, leave anything to chance in the fourth and final match, scoring early and often and simply leaving the Hawks in a position from which it would have been quite difficult to come back. Some Hawk highlights can be seen here:
The Hawks played well, as Lough, Flaherty, and Eland were easily the Hawks' most dominant front line of the night. Flaherty led the team in kills, but Eland's back spasms coming into the game somewhat affected his play, and by extension, the Hawks as a team. Nate Gyampo also rolled an ankle during the middle portion of the game.
The Hawks are in action next tomorrow night, when they take on Mount St. Charles at Pepin Gym at 6:30. That contest will also be broadcast live, right here on The Network. 