The Lady Dragon Volleyball team took their game on the road to compete in the Star Valley volleyball tournament September 8th and 9th.  Over the two day tournament, the MHS team went up against teams that they had never seen before and challenged them in a new way.  Taking the ups and downs of both the wins and the losses, the Lady Dragons are using the tournament games to improve their play and move them forward through the season.

Malad’s opening game of the tournament was against the Star Valley A team, the 4A southwest conference leader in Wyoming.  Unfortunately, Star Valley swept the two game matches, 19-25 and 14-25.  The Lady Dragons next faced off against the Jackson Hole Broncs in a competitive matchup.  The Broncs barely pulled out the win in the first game of the match, winning 23-25, followed by a second win, 18-25.

The Lady Dragons weren’t to be dismissed after the two losses and stepped up in a big way as they went up against their next opponent from Wind River.  Malad dominated the two game matchup, easily winning 25-7 and 25-11.  Buoyed up by their win, the Lady Dragons took their bolstered play into their next game as they went up against a second Star Valley team.  The MHS team came out with the in the opening game of the match as the two teams battled it out to the very last point, Malad finally pulling ahead, 27-26.  The Lady Dragons meant business as they took to the court in the second game, deftly beating Star Valley, 25-14, and winning the match

In their fifth and final match of the game, Malad faced the Thunder Basin Bolts, a top ranked 4A team in Wyoming.  The Lady Dragons came out strong in the first game of the match, winning 25-20.  The Bolts were quick to respond to the defeat, taking the win of the second game, 18-25.  Each with a win, the two teams went into a final tie-breaker game, scored only to 15.  Despite their efforts and hard work, Malad couldn’t keep up with their opponent and fell to Thinger Basin, 9-15.

Coach Camie Tripp admitted that the tournament wasn’t their best play and that it did show areas that they will need to work on to be even more competitive as they continue through the season.

The Lady Dragons are looking forward to their homecoming week home game next on their schedule as they host the Aberdeen Tigers Wednesday, September 13.  The following night, the team will travel to take on district rivals, the West Side Pirates.