STERLING — The Lady Hubs varsity volleyball team dropped its first set to the Sterling Golden Warriors on Tuesday, but head coach John Pfaff said he saw more confidence in his players during the set than he has at any point this season.

Battling a top conference opponent on the road is no easy task, but Rochelle gave Sterling a run for its money early, with the Golden Warriors escaping the first set with a 25-21 win. The Lady Hubs weren’t able to replicate their energy in the second set, however, and Sterling cruised to a 25-7 victory to seal the match.

“I think the girls were pumped,” Pfaff said. “The girls knew that Sterling was a really good team with big swingers, but they weren’t intimidated at all. They came out and they passed well, they blocked well and they defended well. We made them take some swings that put them out of their comfort zone… I thought we played one of our best games of the year.”

Rochelle (5-10-2, 0-4 NIB-12 West) scored more points in the first set of Tuesday’s match than it did in a 25-6, 25-7 loss to LaSalle-Peru this past Thursday. Senior Morgan Knight stepped up for the Lady Hubs, totaling four kills and two blocks to lead Rochelle in both categories. Seniors Jacie Wyatt and Allysa Harding combined for seven digs, while Wyatt and juniors Emma Mehrings and Grace Orlikowski each totaled one kill.

While Rochelle surprised Sterling in the first set, the Lady Hubs couldn’t find any rhythm in the second set, with the Golden Warriors taking a 10-3 lead to force a Rochelle timeout before cruising the rest of the way.

“Our passing left us and we couldn’t run any offense,” Pfaff said. “We were sending them free balls and they were eating them up. They were getting the ball to their hitters and they put us in a lot of 1-on-1 situations… We couldn’t get a pass or a touch off the block and that sends your defense spiraling a little bit.”

Many of Rochelle’s varsity players this year were members of a sophomore team that won over 20 matches in 2016. But with the Lady Hubs now riding a six-match losing streak, the girls will have to dig themselves out of an uncomfortable and unfamiliar situation. Fortunately for the purple and white, their next match is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 25 against Leland-Earlville, a team Rochelle defeated at the varsity level last season.

“Confidence is a fleeting thing,” Pfaff said. “It’s something you play with and you don’t even realize you have it. But when it goes, it’s gone, and suddenly it seems like you’re against the world and nothing can go right… Our kids have to avoid those slumps and they have to be able to bounce back.”