The Evanston High School volleyball team continued its winning ways over the weekend, posting a 6-2 record at the Evanston Border Wars, the team’s annual tournament welcoming in top teams from Wyoming, Idaho and Utah.

Over 90 teams competed in the two-day event, with matches taking place at EHS, as well as Evanston Middle School.

“We definitely saw growth from our team this weekend,” said EHS head coach Tera Lawlar.  “We have been talking to the girls about building a solid foundation so we can start adding layers week by week. This past weekend and next, it will be imperative that we ensure that our ball control, serve receive and serving game is consistent, and at a level that we can build on.”

The Lady Devils opened play Friday against Cheyenne South, winning 2-0 (25-12, 25-15). Evanston followed that with a 3-set win over Lyman, 2-1 (25-21, 22-25, 15-5), though they stumbled against Bonneville, Utah, losing 2-0 in two very close sets (26-24, 26-24).

The Lady Devils had a shot at redemption later that day, this time coming out on the winning end against Bonneville, 2-0 (25-22, 25-10).

The Lady Devils squared off against Tabiona Saturday, winning 2-0 (25-15, 25-19), then followed that with a 2-0 win over Kemmerer (25-11, 25-20). Next up was a 2-0 win over Manila (25-14, 25-15), though Evanston came up short in three sets against South Summit to close out the weekend, 2-1 (25-23, 19-25, 15-12).

Lawlar said South Summit gave Evanston its best test of the weekend.

“South Summit pushed us, and we had to make some key plays under pressure,” she said.  “They had dynamic attackers that tested us on our defense, and served aggressively, which helped us see where we needed to improve. Our hope is that with every match we step up our play, so after the eight matches Friday and Saturday, I felt like we were definitely better, and improving little things with each set.”

Asked what she liked out of her team this weekend, Lawlar said communication is definitely key. 

“Communication and ball control are strengths for this team – they understand what they should do with the ball, depending on the situation,” she said. “Not always is it a ball you can swing hard; sometimes you need to have a finesse shot or see the court to an opening. We are beginning to “see” the court better, and become a smart, more strategic team.”

As for what the team needs to work on before the Idaho Falls tournament this weekend, Lawlar said the answer is simple.

“Defense will be our focus for the next few days – we need to press at the net more to eliminate blocking errors, as well as add blocker coverage,” she said. “We need to get our feet to the ball quicker to help with cleaner passing, and our service errors need time to be eliminated.”

That said, this group is one of the funnest she’s had in years, and it shows in how they play, and they way they interact with each other – on and off the court.

“They are a great group of girls that are all so independently different, but together create such a special team,” she said. “They have the same goal, and are comfortable pushing each other to encourage everyone to reach their highest potential.”