How new-look Roberson volleyball 'stepped up its game' after rare midseason losing streak
Roberson volleyball coach Michelle Wagaman says there's no drill or practice strategy that can teach a team to keep fighting late in sets, matches and seasons.
But during the past month, the 2022 Rams have proven they know how to finish strong.
Since losing consecutive matches in late September, Roberson has gone on an 11-match win streak, securing another MAC championship and advancing to Thursday's 4A third round with a roster that needed to find new leaders following the graduation of a historic senior class last year.
"We knew we had to step up our game," junior setter Emma Youngblood said. "We had to keep going and fighting through."
During the previous three seasons, libero Emerson Hoyle and outside hitter Mackenzie Lynch were WNC's top duo, powering the Rams to a 61-8 record and going undefeated against conference teams as upperclassmen.
With their moving on to Division I colleges, Roberson was no longer a shoo-in to dominate every night.
"It was like starting over," Wagaman said, "but that's also refreshing to me, having new players have new opportunities to excel."
To replace the leadership of Hoyle and Lynch, Roberson (23-5) looked to Youngblood and sophomore outside hitter Karlie Henning, who received plenty of advice from her former libero.
"I've had a lot of talks with Emerson," Henning said. "She was like, 'You need to step up.' I try and talk to the core as much as a can, be loud and be there for my teammates."
On the road Sept. 20 against the Rockets, though, Roberson played poorly in a four-set loss, snapping a 32-match win streak in conference play.
A loss to West Henderson four days later meant the program had lost consecutive matches for the first time since 2018.
"We kind of fell apart. We weren't playing together," Youngblood said. "We had to forget the last game, put that in the past … and work hard in practice and out of practice."
The loss to Reynolds in particular stuck with the Rams, who spent the next three weeks gearing up for a rematch to defend their title.
A 25-7, 25-8, 25-11 sweep of the Rockets in the penultimate match of the regular season did the job, securing a third consecutive league title and maintaining momentum going into the postseason.
"We didn't want this season to be the ending of that streak," Youngblood said. "That was a goal we had to set."
Entering the playoffs, the Rams had another streak on the line. They had won at least two matches in each of the past four playoffs, a feat that was expected to be a challenge in 4A this year.
A first-round sweep of No. 28 Southwest Guilford set up the No. 5 Rams for a visit from No. 12 East Forsyth, which entered the match 20-5 and took the first set 25-23.
But the Rams remained composed and won the next three, saving multiple set points in a 26-24 third set that took the wind out of the visitors' sails. On Thursday, Wagaman's team travels to No. 4 Hough (23-5), which swept Roberson in the first match of the season.
The Rams, though, will make the trip to Charlotte with the knowledge that they can beat teams they fell short against previously.
"The girls that are having to step up are working really hard and are deserving," Wagaman said. "It's been cool to see new people and how they're still able to pull out the win."
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Roberson volleyball steps up its game after a tough midseason loss
