There was an old song at the turn of the 20th century that stated there was “No rest for the weary.”

The song referred to the children laboring in coal mines, working endless hours with little pay, crouching over chutes as the coal slag rushed by and the children were asked to pick out refuse from the valued coal.

After a lengthy stretch of games, the Lady Hawks volleyball team may have a better understanding as to exactly what those children were feeling.

A grand total of nine games in less than a two week stretch certainly may have taken a toll on the young Lady Hawks volleyball team, and adrenaline can only carry a team so far, and a hectic schedule may have played a role in Hiland’s recent loss to Strasburg.

For the better part of Hiland’s first game against Strasburg on Monday, Sept. 26 at Strasburg High School, it definitely appeared that the Lady Hawks surging confidence and adrenaline might rule the day. However, a 10-3 run in the latter part of the game by Strasburg spelled a comeback 25-22 victory for the Lady Tigers, and then they crawled up on the broad shoulders of slugging outside hitter Aimee Jesse and took care of the tiring Lady Hawks the next two games, 25-20 and 25-17, to sweep the best of five match.

“We could definitely use a breather right now,” said Hiland coach Becky Williams. “Nine games in less than two weeks has taken its toll. I felt that even though we were up throughout much of that first game tonight, we still didn’t look quite right. It didn’t look like us out there. Physically we were tired and looked droopy, and that led to a lot of unforced errors.”

Hiland held leads of 8-5 and 15-12 in that first contest, but at 15-12, Strasburg went on a 10-3 spree that gave them a 22-18 advantage. But the Lady Hawks didn’t wilt, and got a kill from Sierra Miller, a Dana Rausch ace and wide ball played by Strasburg to crawl to within 22-21. After Ariel Jones ended the mini-run with a nice shot, Ariel Cooper of Hiland recorded a kill, but the Lady Hawks could not get back over the hump and fell 25-22.

In game two, the Lady Tigers came out swinging, as setter Jesse Goedel returned to the line-up after sitting game one. Goedel immediately paid dividends in the form of finding Jesse, who began crushing the ball. By the time Stephanie Shuster was done serving, Strasburg had laid claim to a 5-0 lead. That grew to 10-2, which included to massive hammer shots by Jesse.

But rather than wilt, the Lady Hawks settled in and began clawing their way back into the game. Little by little they trimmed the lead, and got as close as 24-20 before running out of time and steam.

That comeback seemed to take a lot out of the Lady Hawks, and Strasburg edged away in game three, leading 8-5, Strasburg’s Jones went to work at the service line, and the Lady Tigers pulled away to the three game victory.

“That was probably one of our best games of the season,” said Strasburg coach Deb Durbin. “I thought we really played together tonight, and our seniors carried us. When our seniors take over we can do some damage.”

Durbin credited Goedel with turning around the Lady Tigers’ fortunes from game one, noting that the senior setter came into the second game with an attitude.

“I think she felt she had something to prove after sitting that first game,” said Durbin. “She got the ball exactly where it needed to be all night, and we took advantage. When we can get the ball to Aimee in the right spots, she is awfully tough to stop.”

Hiland’s top blocker Sierra Miller agreed with that assessment. Miller, who did play well in garnering a number of big blocks, said of trying to stop Jesse, “It was frustrating. We had a game plan on where she usually goes, and half way through she adjusted and started hitting it in a different direction.”

Williams said that the Lady Hawks (2-14) did some encouraging things in the game, but still had too many unforced errors and missed serves to warrant a win against a solid Strasburg team.

“When double zero (Goedel) came into the game, it made a world of difference for them,” said Williams. “She really played well and got them going. We just couldn’t sustain anything throughout the night.”

While the effort didn’t result in a win for Hiland, Williams continues to be impressed with the improvement of Miller, who has continued to play bigger and bigger at the net. She also said that while the wins haven’t come in hordes, she remains impressed with the team’s spirit and drive.

“We continue to get better each time out for the most part,” said Williams. “I really think we look tired right now though. Thank goodness we have a break after Newcomerstown tomorrow.”

Yes, a welcomed seven day break between competitions, which should seem like a two week vacation on a sunny beach for the Lady Hawks.