The Mineola Lady Jackets ran into a bit of a buzzsaw when they visited the Harmony Lady Eagles last Tuesday. Harmony handed them a straight-set loss: 25-4, 25-16, 25-9.

The home side dominated the first set with a methodical offensive display. The Lady Eagles generated five kills, five drops and three aces. The other twelve set points came via Mineola mis-hits and technical errors. The Lady Jackets could muster only a single offensive score.

It was a different story in the second match. The game was tied at eight points apiece as a reinvigorated Lady Jackets side competed frantically. Two long points – both of which went to Harmony – turned the set in favor of the Lady Eagles. 

Each of those volleys featured notable work by the Lady Jackets. In the first case, great effort by Mylee Fischer, Audrey Dowdle and Kozbie Riley kept the play alive, but an errant kill attempt lost the point. In the second case a crazy sequence at the net went for naught as the point fell to Harmony.  

The hosts stepped ahead on the scorecard. Despite a brief Mineola scoring flurry (kills by Fischer and Olivia Hughes and a combined block by Olivia and Raquel Hughes) Harmony opened up a six-point lead. Five Mineola errors in the closing stretch gave the second set to Harmony. 

Game three was a reflection of the whole match. In the opening minutes, Mineola scored five offensive points. The result of that effort was a tied game, 6-6. In the absence, however, of a consistent offense, the Lady Eagles emphatically dominated. 

Disheartened and frustrated, the Lady Jackets committed a long string of technical errors. Meanwhile, the Lady Eagles upped their offensive attack and secured the match.   

The most obvious positive of the Lady Jackets’ game was the continued improvement of Shylah Kratzmeyer’s service game. The pace and placement of her service put the opposition on the defensive on each of her offerings. 

The Lady Jackets are hoping to “right the ship” with a three-game home stand. Last Friday they hosted Winona. Earlier this week they faced Chapel Hill and on Friday they will face Mt Vernon.