TQL Dayton Wins Court Battle
Winless in its first two matches, TQL Dayton’s Monday night co-rec six faced immense pressure and scrutiny on the sand volleyball courts of local league proprietor Setters.
A visitor from headquarters in Cincinnati came to see them play April 20 and the team responded.
With a double-digit first-set loss.
Against another winless team called Shooting Blanks.
But just as TQL’s fortunes looked gloomier than the gray-black skies to the east, LAET Mallory H – who played varsity volleyball at Chaminade Julienne High School and club ball at the University of Dayton – went old school.
Tied 4-4 when she toed the service line, Mallory scored 12 straight points with an underhand serve (and added a 13th with an overhand) before Shooting Blanks got a side out. But by then the game was out of reach at 17-5.
“That was from all the way back to the grade school years,” Mallory said of the soft, looping serve rarely seen in the sand. “The wind was helping and I didn’t want to try to do too much with the overhand.”
Shooting Blanks kept it close in the decisive third set, but TQL triumphed to pick up its first win of the season. They also picked up a couple pitchers and measures of respect from their corporate visitor.
“It’s mostly for fun, but we do want to win,” said LAE Ryan B. “We’re getting better. A win is a win and the first one feels good.”
“That was the first night we actually had the real team together because we’ve had so many subs,” Mallory said. “That was promising.”
TQL Dayton has volleyball teams at Setters on Wednesday and Friday nights this spring.
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