The Bucksport Golden Bucks will take on the Narraguagus Knights at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The timing isn't great for Bucksport: they have been struggling with four straight losses at home, while Narraguagus has snatched up 11 consecutive wins on the road dating back to last season.
Last Wednesday, Bucksport didn't have quite enough to beat Woodland and fell 3-2.
Bucksport took a 2-1 lead headed into the fourth set, but sadly they lost the next two. The match finished with set scores of 25-21, 19-25, 21-25, 25-15, 15-9.
Despite their loss, Bucksport saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jetta Shook, who had 21 digs, nine kills, three aces, and a block, was perhaps the best of all. With that strong performance, Shook is now averaging an impressive 10.7 digs per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Marina Keene, who had 29 digs and three aces.
Meanwhile, Narraguagus faced Machias in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. Narraguagus skirted past Machias 3-2.
The match was a true back-and-forth as no team won consecutive sets, but in the end it was Narraguagus who won the one that mattered. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-20, 21-25, 25-14, 24-26, 15-6.
Narraguagus' win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ivy Stanwood, who had 13 digs. Another player making a difference was Eileen Berry, who had 12 digs.
Narraguagus was lethal from the service line and finished the game with 16 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least 11 aces in 25 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Bucksport's defeat dropped their record down to 2-7. As for Narraguagus, their victory bumped their record up to 10-1.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's game: Bucksport has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 14 aces per game. However, it's not like Narraguagus struggles in that department as they've been averaging 20.3. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Bucksport might still be hurting after the 3-0 loss they got from Narraguagus in their previous meeting back in October of 2023. Will Bucksport have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other volleyball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
