Varsity volleyball furthers hot streak
Sophomore Jenna Woodruff digs, as junior Taylor Parrish serves as support and prepares to dig if needed.
September 11, 2014
The Lady Warriors varsity volleyball team stayed hot and dismantled rivals Kennesaw Mountain and McEachern, both in straight sets on September 9, and now they have won 18 of their last 19 matches.
“At first we started out slow, but with the experience we have as a group, we quickly came together and told each other what to do. That’s what makes us so strong, our knowledge of each other and also the awareness we have for our mistakes,” senior libero Christina Matacotta said.
The team huddles up before the game to pump each other up and prepare for competition. The Lady Warriors would be playing Kennesaw Mountain and McEachern that night.
After taking a beating in the first set, Kennesaw Mountain responded in the second. The Mustangs opened up a 3-0 lead with precision serving. The score expanded to 11-8 before head coach James Auld called his first timeout. During the timeout, the Warriors knew what points they needed to capitalize on, and they responded.
After being down as much as 13-16, the Lady Warriors answered the Mustang’s call. Senior outside hitter Savanna Gonzales earned 11 straight points off of her strong serving, which included three aces, making the score 24-16 in favor of the Warriors. Senior outside hitter Abby Miller finished off the Mustangs with a perfect pass from junior setter Taylor Parrish. Consistent back row digs helped fodder the Warriors past an anxious Mustang group.
However, the first set saw a wider margin in the score. The Warriors defeated the Mustangs 25-15 with determined heads-up plays by sophomore middle Jenna Woodruff and junior middle Lizzy Daniels. Gonzales and Miller continued to exhibit their skill as they powered down strong kills every chance they had.
Senior Savannah Gonzales kills, furthering her outstanding record.
“We had really good passing. Taylor did a good job of setting us up to get the kills we needed,” Gonzales said.
Senior Abby Miller sets.
In the match versus McEachern, Miller started the set 7-0 before she serves out of bounds. After that, Matacotta brought the score to 16-1 before McEachern called their first timeout. Porous defense and efficient passing by the Indians helped the Warriors jump out to such an early lead, as they allowed for plenty of kill opportunities. In a lineup that featured the entire bench for NC, the Lady Warriors routed the Indians 25-4 in the second set. The first set proved nothing different. Consistent blocking by Woodruff granted the Warriors more serving opportunities. Gonzales capitalized on those serving opportunities by opening the game with a 15-4 lead. After that, Woodruff finished the set with her strong serving, the Warriors winning 25-10.
They hope to continue their torrid stretch when they host River Ridge and St. Pius on September 18.
