Despite losing 3-1 to West Springfield High School on Tuesday, Sept. 8, Hayfield Secondary School volleyball Head Coach Jeff Berggren knows that his team's work ethic won't wane in the wake of a loss.
"My girls have a great work ethic," Berggren said. "They enjoy working hard and producing."
Berggren's hard-work approach to coaching helped lead the Hawks to a 4-0 record before the meeting with West Springfield. The Hawks recorded victories against Lake Braddock Secondary and Lee, W.T. Woodson and Dominion high schools.
"I tell them before each game, we're here to work and that we're going to work hard and outplay [the other] team," he said.
In the West Springfield match, it was the Hawks who were outplayed in the first two games.
Hayfield started the game flat, losing 25-16 and 25-21, before finding its stride and winning 25-23 to force a game four.
"You're never out of the game until the last whistle," Berggren said. "Regardless of what the scoreboard says, you're still in it. My girls can work even harder next time."
Middle hitter Alanah Jones said the effort didn’t reflect the team’s ability.
"I know we have to do better," Jones said. "We have to communicate better, play smarter and work harder. We're a very strong team and it didn't show today."
Berggren said that the Hawks weren't able to play at the tempo they are used to and had a hard time recovering.
"We were off and we didn't play to our potential," Berggren said. "I'm blessed with a team that has played together for a long time and knows what to expect of each other."
With his first loss as head coach, Berggren said it's time to look at the tape and correct the mistakes before the next match on Sept. 10 against Falls Church High School.
"We have to learn to play with our heads and less with our hearts," he said. "We will look at some tape and look at what we can improve on. We have to learn what to do when we play a team that has an equal amount of skill and hustle as we do."