Win or go home for the Trotters in districts

PLAINS – The Plains Trotters split with a win and loss this week in two games. Their week started Tuesday as they topped the Lady Savage Heat 25-14, 18-25, 25-19, 25-18 and ended with a conference loss to Bigfork in three sets 21-25, 17-25, 16-25.

“We just did not play our game,” Head Coach Kim Earhart said. “Our defense did not step up when we needed it to.”

Earhart’s girls struggled on defense. The team’s limited digs had hurt the team during the Bigfork loss.

“We struggled to get digs,” Earhart said. “We only had 17 which is about half our average.”

During the week’s early match, Plains was able to be aggressive against Hot Springs. The team was firing on offense with 48 kills. Earhart was able to see his team step it up when they needed to.

“We were able to get after it that game,” Earhart said. “Against Bigfork we just did not bring it like we needed to.”

The loss to Bigfork put Plains in the play-in game Saturday at the district competition.

“Had we won another conference game we would not have to play in the play-in game,” Earhart said. “It’s win or go home for the girls and I think they are ready to step up.”

Plains will be hosting the Eureka Lions Saturday in the play-in district game. Plains split the season series with the Lions winning on the road and losing at home. Earhart remembered how well his team played on the road.

“We really got after it at their place,” Earhart said. “It was when our defense stepped it up and we played smarter, not harder is when we won games.”

The season is now “do or die” as Earhart described it. He is ready to see who is going to step it up and perform at the highest level.

“We have got to be more aggressive on offense,” Earhart said. “If we aren’t getting after it, we aren’t going to play our best. The last time we played them, they had more offense the whole time.”

Coach Earhart plans on working on individual drills this week in practice as the prep for Saturday’s game. Earhart knows in order to win, the community needs to be behind the girls when they play at districts.

“I hope to have a big crowd here on Saturday,” Earhart said. “It is always easier to play well when the crowd is on your side.”

Keeping the Trotters’ minds focused on playing smarter and not harder is something he has tried to employ all year.

“Volleyball is a weird sport sometimes,” Earhart said. “It’s not always the team that plays the hardest who wins. It is the team who plays the smartest.”

The Trotters have been struggling in their passing game. They only had 12 assists against Bigfork. It was well under their season average.

“When we pass well and serve well we have a better chance of winning,” Earhart said. “We have the skills we need and if the girls want it, they will go out and get it.”

Regardless of Saturday’s result, Coach Earhart is happy with his team performance this season.

“I want them to be able to say I did my best at the end of the game,” Earhart said. “And if we do that, there is no reason we cannot win this one.