21st January 2024 – Game Week Update, CU vs. Montevallo Falcons
As we are rapidly approaching midseason, the intensity of the games are picking up. Each game is sure to bring the fans a nerve wrecking and nail biting experience, especially with the known theatrics of some of the CU team (court fights not being unknown).
In this week we have the league leading teams clash and that’s sure to create a flash point for hopefully a good game (and maybe some drama). The Columtreal Team is cleaving a path through the season and is currently sitting at a shared 1st position in the conference. This has led to the number of fans accompanying the team steadily growing and so on the 21st January against the Falcons the area was filled with cheers and raucous support for both of the evenly matched teams as Montevallo is currently holding the 2nd spot in the league.
At the onset of the match, Columtreal team captain Maya Flores asked for a moment to address the audience:
“We are going into the game with the knowledge that our School’s cheerleader squad captain was a victim of a knife attack yesterday. As we enter this match, she is in the hospital hopefully in stabilized condition, but our hearts are with her. The Ballbusters are still part of the Looters sports club and we understand each other as one team, but even if we did not we know one thing:
Sports are a way that we can all come together in a spirit of fair play and compete, while we all are remaining one big family of athletes. The emotions can be high and it is fine; if we feel passion then we are truly alive. But we also endorse the notion that violence is never the way. So yea, today we play also for you, Sarah-B. Get well soon. Thank you everyone.”
Maya Flores
As the speech came to a conclusion, the Montevallo team captain Adriana Chávez shook hands with Maya and supported the message, upholding the spirit of fair play.
As the first set opened, the audience was in for a treat from the first ball. Both of the teams seemed to have done their homework. They shadowed each other’s rotations and the advantage was hard for either side to gain. As the score reached 25-24 in favour of the Columtreal team, the building rocked with support of both team’s fan bases. Eventually the sound of the Falcon war drums carried the home team in for a nerve wrecking win in the first set 31-29 in their favour.
The Columtreal squad did not lose their spirit, and entered the second set scratched but unbroken. As much as in the first set, the second followed the same pattern, holding the teams in close competition. With 51 minutes gone already, the situation was tight at 25-24 this time in favor of the Montevallo team. Following a short huddle time, the Columtreal champions fielded their veteran lineup of Flores-Wesson-Smith-Floquet, sending on their most seasoned players to face off against Montevallo’s feared line up of Chávez-Williams–Wright that had brought the first set to victory. With both teams bringing a game fit for a higher division, it took another 12 minutes for the Columtreal team to bring the second set home with a 30-28 score.
The Montevallo Falcons responded with energy and effort to try and bag the next set and took up an early lead with the Columtreal team in close pursuit; no ball given for free. The excessively long and exhausting match however took its toll as Jenice Wright crash landed after a block on the net and the match was over for her with a sprained ankle. The Columtreal team did not hesitate to take advantage of one of the Montevallo star player’s absence and quickly turned the match to their favor, delivering a solid 25-20 victory.
It has to be noted that in the absence of Montevallo’s no.1 middle blocker, the team was unable to fully recover through the rotations and the fatigue set in. Despite the efforts of the rest of the team, there was no stopping the Columtreal onslaught in the fourth set, cleaving their way to the decisive victory 25-15 and closing the match in favor of the Columtreal Ballbusters. Despite this, the Arena celebrated both of the teams as the heroes of the day, and large applause belonged as well for Jenice Wright as everyone’s support for her speedy recovery.
Set Results by Numbers
Set 1: 29 – 31
Set 2: 30 – 28
Set 3: 25 – 20
Set 4: 25 – 15
Conference Standings After Week 5
| Position | Team(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Huntsville Chargers Auburn Montgomery Warhawks Columtreal Ballbusters |
| 2 | Shorter Hawks |
| 3 | West Florida Argonauts Mississippi Choctaws Lee University Flames Union |
| 4 | Montevallo Falcons Valdosta State Blazers |
| 5 | Christian Brothers Bucs West Georgia Wolves |
| 6 | West Alabama Tigers |
Our previous match reports can be found HERE and HERE or the series can be found HERE.
