Our family spent last Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Idaho Falls at the State Volleyball Tournament. The team was hungry for a banner, having finished the last two seasons in second place…right behind the Melba Mustangs. And who do you suppose our first match was with…the Melba Mustangs!

We started strong, taking the first two sets. Then the wheels fell off the bus, and we ended up losing the next three, pushing us to the losers’ side of the bracket in a double elimination tournament. The girls were mad, and that was bad news for Firth, Priest River and Nampa Christian who were all knocked out of the tournament in straight sets by us. You don’t want to poke a Dragon.

After we took Nampa Christian in three straight sets Saturday morning, Ambrose and Melba were all that stood between the Lady Dragons and the State Championship Banner. Ambrose beat Melba in three straight, handing them their first loss of the tournament and sending them back to us. The winner would face Ambrose in the championship game. The Ladies were not putting up with Melba again and we won in three straight sets. I have seen joy before, but when Camie did the double-fist-pump-slap-the-floor- jump, I thought those long legs were going to come right off her body. Life was Really Good!!

So, now it was Ambrose time. Ambrose High School is a private, recruiting school in the Boise area…a little different from good old MHS where we take what we have and build a strong program. Ambrose had defeated every team they faced in three straight sets during the tournament. We too had beat every opponent in straight sets except for Melba in the opening match when we were settling in. We knew it would be a battle. Ambrose came out and took the first two sets and thought they were cruising to victory. Wrong! Our girls came roaring back and won the next two sets. We were tied two to two going into the fifth which goes to 15. 

That set was the gutsiest display of underdog fighting I have ever witnessed. Ambrose would go up; we would fight back. At one point, after we won a point, the Ambrose coach complained, and the ref replayed the point. Never seen that done before. The fans were not happy; you don’t want to poke a Dragon’s mama. The girls were rattled for a minute (understandably so) and let Ambrose get up by three, but then they came back and tied it at 15. That’s when we stuttered a bit, which happens in life. Ambrose won 17-15, but they knew they were lucky to have pulled that one out. 

So, the quest for the banner is still in place…we have a purpose. The girls were full of hustle, fire and team…a foundation to keep building on. The fans had a great weekend…lots more ups than downs. And Life will be Really Good when we take down Ambrose next year, just like we did Melba this year. Go Dragons!!