For everything the RDC Kings did right Friday, they simply couldn’t channel it for a second day.
The Kings squared off with the Lethbridge College Kodiaks Saturday in Alberta Colleges Athletic Association men’s volleyball and the home side at no answer for the Lethbridge attack.
RDC swept the Kodiaks Friday, then got a taste of their own medicine Saturday, losing in three straight sets (25-23, 25-20, 25-15).
They had a chance to win the opening set and were up in the second, but lost both of those before falling apart at the seams in the third.
RDC had just three aces compared to 12 service errors, had 19 attacking errors and were called on the net a number of times early in that match.
“We had our opportunities in the first and second,” said Kings coach Aaron Schulha.
“In the second set I thought we did a good job of changing the momentum, I think we were up 14-10. Got to 16 and they pulled away. A lot of it was missed serves and net touches. A run of errors on our part in those first two sets, it was a lot less about what they were doing. It was more about our mistakes at key times.”
The Kings were without Australian import outsider hitter Patrik Toze for the first two sets as he was dealing with a bout of food poisoning. The six-foot-four Australian made a big difference Friday, but Schulha said between Ben Holmes and J.J. Graham, both veterans, they should have been able to find something to stop the Kodiaks.
“Ben and J.J. were our starting left sides last year, so it shouldn’t have been that big of a drop-off,” Schulha said.
“We knew that we would miss (Pat Toze) presence at the net, especially because he’s a pretty dynamic guy. We talked about a next man up mentality, we did just the opposite, unfortunately.”
Carter Hills led the Kings with 7 kills in the loss, while Holmes added six. Carter Hansen was the top player for the Kodiaks with 12. He also had three aces and two stuff blocks.
The loss dropped RDC to 10-4 on the year and third in the ACAC South.
“We’re right in the mix with four losses, (Lethbridge) is a good team and they’re going to be even better at home. We know what they’re capable of now and going into the conference championships,” added Schulha.
“It might have been a necessary wakeup call, in terms of we finished the second half strong… you hate to have to get pushed around a little, you wouldn’t we needed that but in the grand scheme of things, maybe we did. Should be a big learning piece.”