New Kent sends Smithfield packing with sweep in volleyball match

New Kent’s Brooklyn Wiles serves up an ace during Monday night’s matchup.

Robb Johnson photo

New Kent’s Lady Trojans’ volleyball team continue to excel, once against laying claim to another win.

The Lady Trojans defeated the visiting Smithfield Lady Packers 25-11, 25-16, 25-18 in Monday night’s Bay Rivers District contest.

In the first set, New Kent maintained a modest lead (17-9) when Smithfield’s Kaelynn Heilbrun spike appeared to shift momentum. The only problem was that the momentum favored the homestanding of Lady Trojans, who countered her score with an 8-1 run to close out the opening frame.

In the second set, New Kent’s defense ramped up, forcing Smithfield into several errors and offensive miscues. Meanwhile, Lady Trojans Reagan Hailey-Robinson notched two kills while Carly Sachs added two aces to close out the second set for New Kent. In the third set, New Kent utilized precise digs and exploited holes in Smithfield’s defense to capture the final frame.

After the contest, New Kent Lady Trojans’ Head Coach Susan Phillips spoke about the victory.

“We like to put players in rotations where they typically don’t play and they were still able to execute and make plays,” she said, speaking about improving team weaknesses and chemistry on the team. “This is a young team that continues to work on their entire game with their communication.

“They continue to play as a team and it’s been a big bonus,” Phillips concluded.

New Kent improves to 13-2 on the season.