By Jayson Henderson

The Wakefield Bombers had a challenging week, beginning with Tuesday night matches against state-ranked Little River and Peabody. Coach Ashley Dumler acknowledged the high level of competition, saying,

“Little River is one of the top-ranked teams in the state and last year’s state champions. They’re an exceptional high school team.”

Unfortunately, the team struggled to maintain consistency in their performance.

“This season, we’ve had issues getting off to a strong start in the first set, followed by overplaying in the second set, and then losing our confidence in the third, which leads to a loss. Unfortunately, that same pattern repeated against Peabody,” Dumler said.

Thursday’s match at St. Xavier, however, was a turning point for the Bombers.

“The girls played with confidence, and it felt like the confidence boost we needed going into Saturday,” Dumler noted.

In the Wheat State League consolation tournament on Saturday, the Bombers faced a familiar pattern against Rural Vista but managed to turn the tide.

“We started the day as usual against Rural Vista, with a strong first set, followed by overplaying in the second set, and losing in the third,” Dumler said.

But the team rallied, winning their final two matches against Canton-Galva and Peabody in straight sets.

“I’m very proud of their determination,” she added.

Dumler highlighted the leadership of seniors Maggie Brown, Allison Adams, Paige Smith, Kennedy Finkbner, and Abby Duff, saying,

“Our seniors have shown outstanding leadership on the court in these last few weeks.”

The Bombers will play again Thursday in Herrington, with Regional play announcements expected this week.