The Juneau-Douglas and Thunder Mountain High School volleyball teams play one another for the second time in a week Tuesday.
The Crimson Bears escaped with a five-set win over the Falcons last Tuesday at TMHS. The venue shifts downtown this week and begins at 8 p.m.
JDHS will be fresh off their road trip to Petersburg when they play their crosstown rival. The Falcons, who were home this weekend, know what that’s like.
It was TMHS who was fresh off a road trip to Washington last Tuesday.
“Our good play is attributed to our good practice,” TMHS coach Arnold Ibias said. “On Monday, before JDHS, we just didn’t practice very well. We had a tough Down South trip — a long trip — and then come home for half a day on Sunday and then we practice on Monday. It’s tough, but still, you have to show up to play.”
JDHS senior Abby Meiners says the team will have to make do without a full week of practice before the game.
“I think we just have one practice tomorrow and we didn’t get to practice last week because we were on the ferry Wednesday night,” Meiners said. “But I think Petersburg offered us a good opportunity for us to practice and get ready for Thunder Mountain’s game.”
Both coach Dale Bontrager of JDHS and Arnold Ibias of Thunder Mountain have been putting in study time since the 3-2 JDHS win last Tuesday.
“I’ve got a page of notes of things we got to work on as a team and some individuals,” Bontrager said. “It’s just a matter of getting the practice time to do it.”
Ibias asked his players what they need to do better individually and as a team.
“Sometimes we don’t plays as well as a team as we are. For me, it’s all mental. Physically, these girls are all great athletes,” he said.
After Tuesday, the teams will have close to a month before they play their final two conference games against one another. The Crimson Bears host the Falcons on Oct. 27 before heading to TMHS for an Oct. 28 game.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.
