Published: November 03, 2009 04:19 pm      

Bruins drop regional final

At Saturday’s Eastern Greene Regional, the Tri-West volleyball team needed two wins to punch a ticket to state for the first time in school history.

They got one.

The Bruins rolled past host Eastern Greene 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-20) in the regional opener, but were swept in the nightcap by Class 2A No. 2 Brownstown 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-18).

Bruins coach Stacey Rogers said preparation was difficult for the Thunderbirds and Braves — two unfamiliar opponents Tri-West had not met earlier this season.

“It was a little difficult to find a lot of information about them,” Rogers said. “The only team they played against that we did was Monrovia.”

In Saturday’s regional opener, the Bruins faced an Eastern Greene team that sported a 30-4 record and was making its first regional appearance in 15 years.

The youthful Thunderbirds had no seniors, and featured two freshmen and a sophomore in thier starting line-up.

Tri-West’s experience carried them to victory, as senior Aubrey Cook led the team with 12 kills and seven blocks.

“Their record of 30-4 was a bit of a concern for us,” Rogers said. “But I was very pleased with my team’s performance.”

Against Brownstown, Cook again led the team with 11 kills, while Taylor Green added four blocks.

But the Braves proved to be too much for the Bruins to handle, and advanced to state for the eighth straight season.

“My team certainly did not play as well as they did in the morning game,” Rogers said. “They seemed very relaxed, confident, and ready to go, but I feel the fact that they were No. 2 was a little bit of a mental advantage.”

Tri-West finished 20-15.

The Bruins won their second straight sectional championship, defeating Covenant Christian earlier this month.

The Bruins graduate three seniors — Cook, Sam Ricks, and Hillary Anderson.

“We will miss all three of them,” Rogers said. “Losing Cook will have a big impact on our team, we’ll just have to find a different way to play.”