Thousand Oaks Loses Match and Much More

Life just got a little harder for the Thousand Oaks High girls’ volleyball team.

After learning middle blocker Jenn Detmer is probably out for the season with mononucleosis, the Lancers lost a Marmonte League girls’ volleyball match to Royal, 15-7, 15-6, 16-14, on Tuesday night.

For the short term, Thousand Oaks (2-2, 1-2 in league) fell behind Royal (3-2, 2-1) in the race to keep pace with Westlake.

In the long run, what could have been an exclamation mark of a season is now a question mark.

“It’s tough because we’ve got to replace a player like that,” Thousand Oaks Coach Robert Haar said of Detmer, who is confined to her house this week and will attend a partial class schedule next week.

“This year is all about improving, but right now we’ve got to make some dramatic improvements. The rest of the girls have to come through for Jenn and for themselves.”

They did at times on Tuesday, keeping pace in the first and third games before Royal pulled away.

In the first, Royal broke a 7-7 tie with eight consecutive points, including two aces by Carrie Swartz and two kills by Danielle Upmeyer.

In the third, Thousand Oaks led, 14-11, before Royal fought off three match points and finished off the match.

Nikki Guerra had 10 kills and Sherisa Livingston added eight, including three kills down the stretch.

Swartz’s attack from the outside didn’t hurt, either. She finished with 13 kills.

“We got strong performances from our big-time players,” Royal Coach Bob Ferguson said.

An inconsistent service reception hurt the Lancers. And they missed their big-time player.

“It’s been a shock,” said Marie Middleton, who had seven kills for Thousand Oaks. “It’s different, I guess.”

Even Royal missed Detmer.

“I’d rather have played the game against Detmer,” Ferguson said. “But their team played with tremendous spirit and heart under the conditions.”

Said Swartz: “I think they miss her. I would.”