FORT RUCKER, Ala. (October 20, 2011) -- Just because the majority of a team fails to show up for the game, it doesn't mean that team will automatically lose, according to Tuesday night's game between the 110th Aviation Brigade and Lyster Army Health Clinic.
For the members of the 110th, this was an opportunity to remind everyone why they won last year's championship: Team work and good communication, according to Cody Tucker, 110th coach.
"We've played four games so far and have only lost one," he said. "Basic skills really helped us out. If you don't have the basic skills, it doesn't do much good to have more people."
Tucker said that the short length of the matches helped his players to stay fresh.
The game was set up as a double-elimination game with teams playing until one side scored 25 points first. The 110th managed to win two sets in a row, thus winning the match, 2-0.
Lyster had six players on the court to the 110th's four, but the numbers weren't enough to cover up some costly mistakes, said Tim Hanson, Lyster coach.
The 110th surged early going up six points before Lyster finally got on the board. This was the theme for the rest of the evening.
Tucker and Joey Baltz were able to keep the team on the offensive, even when it looked like Lyster would mount a comeback. Leimomi Lobur and Anna Schortrann also put up a few points of their own, including a couple of aces.
The first match ended with a score of 25-17, but the game was far from over.
Lyster began its campaign for a comeback victory in the second match, but it didn't last.
Hanson had a good bit of help from fellow teammate Aaron Moss, but even with that boost, it was hard to overcome a near-10-point deficit.
"We really need to work harder in practice," Hanson said. "We had a lot of people here tonight, but most of us are still trying to figure out how we work together."
Hanson said that the team will be practicing more often now and that he's going to encourage more people to show up for it so a loss like this one doesn't happen again.
"It's going to be challenging because people have other responsibilities, but I think we can do it," he said.
Tucker said he was pleased with the outcome but didn't expect it because he had only four players to work with, including himself.
Still, despite having a strategy that worked, he said the team will continue to iron out issues during the next few weeks of practice.
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