The Blair Bears will head out to face off against the Gretna East Griffins at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Considering both teams were shutout in their prior games, the pair is probably coming into this one with something to prove.
Blair is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Norris just ended the team's four-match winning streak on Tuesday. They came up short against the Titans, falling 3-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Bears have suffered since September 15th.
While Blair was kept off the board, it wasn't for a lack of trying: they cut into Norris' winning margin in every set. The match finished with set scores of 25-12, 25-13, 25-14.
Meanwhile, Gretna East lost 3-0 to Elkhorn North on Tuesday. The Griffins have struggled against the Wolves recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
The final score came out to 25-18, 25-16, 25-21.
Despite the defeat, Gretna East saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Brooklyn Beethe had 16 digs and one assist.
Blair's loss dropped their record down to 17-10. As for Gretna East, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-15.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Saturday's match: Blair has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 5.7 aces per game. However, it's not like Gretna East struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.5 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Blair came out on top in a nail-biter against Gretna East in their previous matchup last Tuesday, sneaking past 3-2. Will the Bears repeat their success, or do the Griffins have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
