Netters flip a switch for the win

The Lady Dogie Volleyball squad bounced back better than ever after last weekend’s disappointing loss to Wheatland by rolling over Upton in the Dogie Dome on Thursday in three straight sets, then getting revenge on Moorcroft at their house on Friday, taking home a four-set win in a pivotal conference match-up.
Head Coach Mickey Crabtree admitted that the squad had a few talks and also worked on some new free ball plays last week, and she said she was pleased to see her squad change gears and come out swinging on Thursday. 
“We did go into the Upton game struggling a little knowing it was going to be
a slower-paced game than
we are used to,” Crabtree began. “But the girls came out and fought, so that was great to see.”
The first two sets saw the Lady Dogies cruise to pretty easy wins over the Bobcats, defeating them 25-14 and 25-15 respectively. However, in the third set Upton sprang to life and put up a good fight against Newcastle. Despite the Bobcat challenge, Crabtree’s team was able to outlast them and take the 25-21 set and match win. 
“Upton bounced back and fought pretty hard in the third set, which was great to see,” reported Crabtree. “There were some pretty scrappy plays on both sides of the net, and both teams went for everything, which was awesome.”
That scrappy play did more than just benefit the teams on the court. Four Newcastle businesses — Isabella’s, First State Bank, First State Bank Insurance and Decker’s Market — donated a dollar for every dig and $2 for each kill by both teams with the proceeds going toward cancer awareness in the community.
“It was awesome to see all the girls fighting for every dig knowing that it was for more than just a point in the game,” Crabtree said. “It was great to be able to raise some money for the charity and see the girls rise to the occasion.”
The Friday afternoon game in Moorcroft was an important one, with regional seeding on the line. Newcastle, Buffalo and Moorcroft were all sitting with two wins and one loss in the quadrant going into the weekend, with the Lady Dogies edging out the other two for the number one spot due to their overall record. Having previously lost to the Lady Wolves, it was imperative for Newcastle to get a win in order to stay on top of the Northeast Quadrant rankings. 
It was evident from early in the match against Moorcroft that the Lady Dogies went in with the mind-set of taking care of business. 
“They were off their game and we were on ours, though maybe we had a little bit to do with them being off their game,” said Crabtree, grinning. “We had a lot of ace serves, which was nice to see, and we really didn’t have a lot of errors, which was great. You could tell the girls really wanted it this weekend.” 
It was a battle, but the Lady Dogies took the first two sets, 25-20 and 25-21. The Lady Wolves rallied back to take the third set 19-25, but then Newcastle righted the ship
and finished things up with a 25-19 victory to take both set and match.
“After last week we talked a lot about legacy, and what they want to leave to the program after their senior year,” Crabtree explained. “They took it to heart and really flipped a switch, so I hope we can keep that turned on to finish out the regular season.”
Friday is senior night as the Lady Dogies host a conference game against Glenrock with games scheduled for 3, 4, and 5 p.m. Saturday is another pivotal conference contest against Buffalo regarding seeding for the upcoming regional tournament. Action begins in Buffalo at 11 a.m. with varsity scheduled to play at 1 p.m. 
“We’re getting down to the nitty gritty of the season,” Crabtree declared. “It’s time to keep turning things up if they want to leave the legacy they want to leave.”