Bucs Volleyball Falls to Sussex Central Knights, 3-1

By Kevin Eickman

Bucs Volleyball falls to Sussex Central

Volleyball fans expecting the Milford-Sussex Central volleyball match to end with a close victory for the Buccaneers, were disappointed by the 3-1 loss,

Milford tried to come from behind in the first game, but Sussex seized the early momentum. The Buccaneers would close the gap, but fell short, falling by a 25-19 score, leaving the home team needing to win three of the next four games.

Milford quickly responded, taking the second game 25-21. Key in the game for the Buccaneers would be the play of junior Da’Myje Lewis who was solid at the net., turning in consecutive blocks and a few kills to give Milford the momentum they would need to take the second game.

“I really liked the way we responded after a very slow start, winning that second game shows what this team is capable of, said Milford Coach Mike Zampini. “We just have to get to the point that we can put forth that type of energy throughout an entire game.”

The Buccaneers fell behind quickly in the third game as Sussex Central adjusted to Milford’s good play at the net, finding a soft spot just behind the Buccaneers front line. Repeatedly exploiting the gap, Central built a big lead and left Milford searching for answers. Following a timeout, Milford would make a small run but were simply outplayed by the Knights. The result would be a 25-21 loss for the Buccaneers, as they would fall behind in the match 2-1.

In the fourth and final game of the match, there was nothing the Buccaneers could do to stop the Knights. From the very beginning of the game, it was clear that Central was ready to get on the bus as they took control of the contest and never looked back. The game would end in 25-6 as Central brought their game to the next level, closing out the match.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed in the way we played the second half of the match,” Zampini said. “But this is a learning process for us and tonight we learned what type of energy it takes. As I said before the start of the season, we are trying to build a culture around here and I believe we are well on our way.”

The loss drops the Buccaneers’ record to 7-4. Milford’s most recent winning season came back in 2016, when they recorded a mark of 8-7, meaning they can beat that record with just two wins in the final four matches.

“We look at these final games of the season as an opportunity to learn and part of that is winning. So, we will get back to practice and we will do our best to become a better team.” Zampini concluded.