Charles City snaps 10-game losing skid with sweep of Hopewell

By Robb Johnson | October 12, 2024 12:25 am

Charles City's Aalaya King angles her body and returns the ball back over the net.

Robb Johnson photo

Charles City’s Lady Panthers early promise of a winning season dwindled away in the past few weeks, dropping their last 10 contests to formidable opponents. The Lady Panthers finally found a way to bounce back as the Hopewell Lady Blue Devils visited on Oct. 9.

Utilizing a strong opening set and consistent play over the contest, Charles City swept Hopewell 25-6, 25-19, 25-12 to snap their skid and earn their third win of the season.

Charles City jumped on the Lady Blue Devils early in the game, being aggressive with their serves and at the net. The result was a 14-2 lead, eventually with the hosts having more than a dozen aces in the opening set to claim it.

In the second set, the Lady Panthers went into their bench, building a 12-7 lead. But Hopewell took advantage with a 7-2 run to tie the game at 14 apiece. But Charles City remained unphased as serves by Kayla Davis-Moore and Kaylee Stewart returned the advantage to the Lady Panthers. A dig by Aalaya King and an ace by Madison Bradby helped clinch the frame for Charles City.

Set number three once again saw the visitors put up a fierce fight, keeping the game close and knotting it at eight apiece. But Charles City ramped up their movement on the floor, resulting in the hosts outscoring Hopewell 17-4 over the remainder of the set to win the match.

After the contest, Charles City Lady Panthers Head Coach Lillani Adkins spoke about her team’s victory, but also shifted their focus to continuing to find the win column.

“Tonight, they played well together with more communication and footwork,” she said. “I saw progress and I am happy with it.

“But if they want to see their season extended, they have to start doing those things more,” Adkins added. “We still have an outside shot to make the playoffs, but it will take practice, dedication, communication, and being able to work with each other to make the difference.”

Charles City improves to 3-11 on the season.