BAY VILLAGE, Ohio -- The Pirates dropped their first match of the season, as Rocky River fell to Bay, 3-1 (19-25, 25-19, 15-25, 19-25), on Thursday.

The Rockets bounced back with a 10-point win in a key third set after the Pirates had knotted the match at 1-1 with an impressive 25-19 win in game No. 2. Prior to Thursday's Great Lakes Conference West Division tilt, Rocky River had won 12-of-13 sets this fall.

The Pirates (4-1, 1-1 GLC West) were undone by a season-high 7.8 dig errors per set and a solid Bay defense holding River to a .112 hitting mark.

"We will look to bounce back from this," said head coach Brittany Morris. "With the right mentality in upcoming practices, this will make us stronger."

The Double-R got 17 kills and 16 digs from Samantha Young, nine kills and two aces from Paige Waite, and 16 digs from Taylor Spies.

But the Pirates -- who had averaged just 4.3 dig errors per set while hitting .222 over their first four matches -- couldn't outpace some of their own miscues which were magnified by the strong play of the host Rockets.


by Skip Snow

# # # RR # # #