The Becker Bulldog girls volleyball team is off to a rough start, losing two matches at home against Rogers and Big Lake.

 

The Lady Bulldogs took on the Rogers Royals on their home court in front of home town fans Tuesday night and lost in three sets.

 

The games were 17-25, 16-25, 22-25 in favor of Rogers.

 

“(It’s) a tough loss for Becker volleyball against Rogers,” said Head Coach Kristina Sloan. “It’s always exciting to see your first competition for the year and to see how your players will react. Unfortunately, we did not have that drive to step on the court and push to win every point.”  

 

Sloan pointed to the fact her team is younger and less experienced than the team she inherited last season.

 

“We lost some great players last year and returning players have had to adapt to new positions and new faces,” she says.  “I’d like to say having nine seniors, we’d be comfortable out there, but we seem confused on who plays where.  We have a lot of work ahead of us and more tough competition in the days to come.”

 

Brynn Barthel led the Bulldogs with 14 kills and was 10-12 in serves with one ace.

 

Jessica Gruber had eight kills and Hope Amundson 12. Hope also was 10-12 in serves with three aces.

 

Leah Anderson (6) and Daisy Kent led the Bulldogs in digs.

 

Brinley Zoller was 9-9, serving one ace.

 

Becker took another loss Thursday night on their home court against Big Lake. 

 

“We made a couple lineup changes to better fit our team and we struggled communicating with each other,” said Coach Sloan. “We lost the game from our own mistakes.”

 

Match scores were 22-25, 16-25, 16-25 for Big Lake.

 

Barthel had 11 kills, while Gruber, Amundson and Garding all had five each.

 

Carly Baumgartner led the Bulldogs with nine digs and Anderson had four.

 

Zoller was 6-8 in serves and Kent 13-14 with one ace.

 

Becker travels across the river to play Monticello Tuesday then host a tournament Sept. 10 against PACT, West Lutheran and Minneapolis Washburn.