Lady Trojans start slow, then cruise past Bruton’s Panthers

Lady Trojan Jena Williams reacts quickly to bump a Bruton shot in front of teammate Skylar Cossaboon.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Overcoming a sluggish start against the bottom dweller in the Bay Rivers District volleyball standings, New Kent’s Lady Trojans assumed dominance the rest of the way for a three-set sweep, 25-19, 25-10, 25-9.

The Sept. 25 victory over Bruton’s Panthers kept the hosts in second place, one game in the loss column behind unbeaten Jamestown.
New Kent improved to 8-1 in the district and 11-3 overall.

New Kent fell behind 10-8 in the first set, but back-to-back kills from Gina Sledd and Karley Allen wiped out the deficit. Four straight Ashley Pierce services aces and a D’aysa Jones kill contributed to an 8-0 run that put the Panthers away.

“We started out a little slow, but then we picked it up,” said New Kent coach Cyndi Burnett. “It’s hard to get motivated for a team that’s zero and something in the district.”

Allen posted four kills and two aces while Pierce contributed three kills in pacing the hosts in set two. Jena Williams and Allen (four kills each) along with Brianne Wayman (two kills) led the way in the final set.

“Our back-ups did a fine job tonight,” Burnett said. “This was the last of the kind of easy games we have before we have to pump it back up for the rest of the schedule.”

Two Lady Trojans, meanwhile, have made their marks in the school’s record books. In the team’s Sept. 20 outing at Smithfied, Williams reached the 500 career kills plateau while Sledd earned her 1,000th career assist.