The Glacier Bears volleyball team competed in the first half of a seeding tournament hosted in Haines Sunday and Monday.
Teams from Wrangell, Petersburg, Skagway, Klawock, Metlakatla and Craig competed.
Coach Alixanne Goodman said she was proud of her young team’s performance despite taking several losses. The Glacier Bears played strongest against Craig, last year’s state champions, she said.
“Honestly, when we played the top two teams of the region and the state, I thought they did their best,” Goodman said. “They used all the skills that they had. They covered really well. They did excellent.”
Goodman said younger players stepped up during the tournament, especially “defensive specialist” freshman Miranda Haddock, Goodman said.
“She doesn’t have a lot of training in that position,” Goodman said. “She doesn’t need a lot of adjustment. She just kind of fits the role naturally.”
Miranda Haddock and her sister Marissa Haddock communicate well together and have a connection that can’t be taught, the coach said.
Goodman said the team needs to build confidence hitting the ball. They also need to more regularly practice bump, set and spiking. “We give the other side a free ball too often,” she said.
Goodman said the Haines volleyball team is growing and improving. Four coaches are working with team.
Haines will compete in the final half of the seeding tournament in Metlakatla on Nov. 3 and 4.
The final seeding results will be used to develop the schedule for the regional tournament.