On Thursday, Sept. 8 NECC Knights Women’s Volleyball lost three sets to none against New Hampshire Technical Institute (NHTI) in Concord, NH.

The Knights lost the first set 25-10, the second set 25-19 and the third set 25-12.

They arrived 30 minutes early before game time and they were practicing and warming up before the game.

The referees blew the whistle at 7:06 for the start of the game.

The first set NHTI scored the first two points of the game. Tabitha McMinniman of Bradford scored the first point for the Knights. The Knights were down 8 to 1 and 12 to 1 when head coach Mike Pelosi decided to use his first two timeouts of the game. Their third point of the game came by their captain Kaithlene Perez-Flores of Lowell. Once again McMinniman scored on that set and also their captain Perez-Flores. The Knights lost the first set 25 to 9.

“I think the first set this is the first time we played as a team in a game, it was a good opponent. They are a solid team, a big crowd, wide open gym, noisy. I think they were nervous the caliber of play you saw today in the first it was nothing like you saw yesterday (during practice) it took them a while to gather their nerve. Unfortunately emotions are infectious so two of them were nervous it brought us the other one I think it took them a while to get them into the groove,” Coach Pelosi said.

 During the second set the Knights were more focused and relaxed. After coach Pelosi called a time out what ever he said to his players worked. the Knights were on a 10-3 run to pull a comeback and made it 17 to 17 but wasn’t enough as NHTI answered back on a 8-2 run and the Knights lost the second set 25 to 19. The Knights were down two sets to none.

“I think we started getting excited once you get in a run you get excited you gain momentum you start working together better communicating and then the other team kinda got scared because they didn’t expect you to do that so it kinda all goes together, as a team really excited,” NECC Knights women’s volleyball player Caroline Burns of Haverhill said.

On the third set the Knights jumped over in front with scoring the first two points of the third set NHTI answer back having a 4-2 lead. The Knights tied the game at eight a piece then the Knight’s didn’t have nothing going as NHTI finished the third seat on a 17 to 4 run as the Knights lost 25 to 12 and lost on three straight sets.

I asked coach Pelosi after the game what the girls have to work on and to improve for the next game.

“I think serves see consistency is a big one, serves consistency this was our back up back up line up and I don’t say that as an excuse, we could’ve played better we (had) players playing in position that they normally wouldn’t be playing so I think working in a coordinative faction in the court leading the center take control the second ball composure some of the chaotic plays I think serving and offensively I don’t think we were being very strategic so being more strategic where we place the ball,” he said.