TRAPPERS READY FOR REGION IX PLAY

BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune

Following an extra week of rest after canceling a match in Billings against the Rocky Mountain JV, the Northwest College volleyball team is ready to roll into Region IX action, hoping the extra week of healing will help the Trappers be at full strength.

GAME CANCELED
The Trappers (8-4) were scheduled to take on the Rocky Mountain JV on Friday, Sept. 19, but a decision made by coach Nicole Buck led to the match being canceled.
"The main reason was last week and a little bit the week before we'd had a few girls get sick, and then we had a few more girls fighting some injuries and we just didn't feel comfortable walking into a game with seven to eight healthy people," Buck said. "We were starting to feel majorly jinxed, and it was just very clear that the team really needed a couple days of rest."
She said the trainer had even urged Buck to take a couple practices off because the athletes needed it.
"So if we were to a point where we were almost justifying taking practices off, we couldn't justify going to a game that wasn't a conference game or anything super intense," she said.
Buck said this was the first time she has had to cancel a game for this reason in her career, and despite not liking the decision, she felt it was best for the players in the long run.
"I hated to do it, but as soon as we made that decision it was clear that it was the right decision for the girls to have that time to recover so that we can prepare properly for this next phase of the season," Buck said. "We kind of just used it as a refresh button, and then told them if they don't come back Monday rested, then it was all for nothing. But they did."
Buck said the Trappers used the week to learn more about treating their injuries, hoping her players learned more about taking care of themselves as they head into the conference season.
She added that they are starting to get some of their long term injured players back, bringing back some energy to the Trapper practices, but she is hopeful those players being out several weeks hasn't stunted their progress.
"We've got a big uphill battle ahead for sure. Because two-to-three people that we considered starters at the beginning have now lost three-to-four weeks of that development," Buck said. "Even though they're getting healthier and will be able to jump back in, they're gonna need time to get back fully to where they were physically and mentally. So it's still gonna be an uphill battle, but it's just nice to know that we have more people to use, and then it makes our practices more competitive."

REGION IX OPENER
After those two weeks off from competition the Trappers start Region IX play on the road, beginning with a nationally ranked team in NJCAA No. 19-ranked Casper College (11-7) at 6 p.m. on Friday.
Northwest then continues on to Gillette at 2 p.m. on Saturday to take on the Pronghorns (14-1).
"I just really want to see them step up to tougher competition," Buck said. "When you start to see really good competition, one of two things happen, you kind of sink away from it, or you rise up to it. I expect our girls and hope that our girls will really rise up to that and just take that challenge head on."