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The Chambers Academy varsity volleyball team lost their season opener in straight sets 25-13, 25-18, 25-7 Monday to Coosa Valley.

Chambers Academy has a fairly young team with a new head coach, but that was no excuse for head coach Jessica Patterson.

“That looked like garbage,” Patterson said. “These are drills the players do at practice all the time. This loss is on them, and they know that. We couldn’t pass. We couldn’t be in our spots. We have to see some leaders emerge on our team. I want ball hogs on my team. Until we have that, this is what’s going to happen.”

Assistant coach Madison Harrell also wanted to see more from her girls.

“The girls have to want it, and I don’t think they realize the teams they’re playing this year won’t get any easier,” Harrell said. “Come tomorrow at practice, they just have to want it. Coach Patterson and I can’t win it for them.”

Patterson did like how her team started.

“They came out strong in the first game,” Patterson said. “The mental aspect of the game is not there for them. One wrong thing snowballed. We’re trying to work on mental toughness. That’s something that’s very hard to coach, and we’re just going to regroup at practice.”

Chambers Academy kept the first game close until Coosa Valley pulled away and won 25-13. They showed some improvement in the next game, but they still lost 25-18. 

Chambers Academy fell apart in the third game, losing 25-7.

“I could’ve called another timeout in the last game and broke some stuff up,” Patterson said. “Honestly, it’s just good for them to have to sit in it for a minute. Then they can see that only they can fix this. There were some things I could have done in that last game, but I just wanted them to see that they’re beating themselves.”

Chambers Academy will play at home against Lakeside on Thursday.