’Cats scoop Golddiggers in five

In a five-set match, the Custer Jr./Sr. High School volleyball team walked away with a win in the final game of the regular season Tuesday, Oct. 27, against the Lead-Deadwood Golddiggers.
Custer head coach Shayna Young said that while it was not the Wildcats’ best game, there were some good moments throughout.
“For whatever reason, making the long drive and playing in that gym seems to be a challenge for us, as we haven’t always played to our potential there. I think we struggled with discipline and executing the things we have worked on all season. We know what we are capable of, but we need to do a better job of staying focused, trusting our training and putting those things into action consistently,” said Young.
Custer took the first set 25-10, but Lead-Deadwood claimed the next two 25-21 and 25-20.
“Deadwood did a nice job of putting up a strong block against us, especially starting in the second set. They also play with a lot of hustle and are not a team that gives up on a ball easily. There were several times when I thought a ball was down, but they managed to get to it and keep the play alive. You have to give them credit for their effort and determination to keep fighting for every point,” said Young.
However, the ’Cats rallied and claimed the victory with a fourth set of 25-20 and a fifth set of 15-11.
“I think one strength we showed was our ability to finish the match and get the job done, even when we weren’t necessarily playing our best volleyball. That is something to be proud of. However, I do think we struggled with staying focused and disciplined throughout the matches. We need to make sure we are consistently doing our jobs and executing what we are supposed to, rather than only doing it part of the time. Consistency is going to be key for us moving forward,” said Young.
For the first round of regions, the Wildcats faced the Belle Fourche Broncs Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Custer Armory. Results were not available at publication.
Should the Wildcats win the game, they will move on to face St. Thomas More (STM) Thursday, Nov. 5, for a 6 p.m. away game.
“I hope the girls go into this game with confidence and don’t let our previous two losses against STM make them feel intimidated. STM is a good team, but so are we, and I truly believe we have a chance to compete with them if we go out and play our game,” Young said. “My expectation is that we focus on executing all of the little things, staying disciplined and celebrating every moment as if it were game point. I want the girls to believe in themselves, trust each other and have fun competing.”