Senior leadership proves key as New Kent tops Tabb in five

By Alan Chamberlain | September 26, 2013 12:30 pm

Lady Trojan setter Gina Sledd launches one of her 26 assists on the night during the win over Tabb.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Already down one set in their best of five affair with Tabb’s Tigers and trailing badly in the second, New Kent’s host Lady Trojans appeared on their way to a second straight volleyball loss after falling to Grafton two nights earlier.

But the hosts turned the tables on the Tigers, recovering to claim the second set before closing out the match with wins in sets four and five (20-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-20, 15-12).

“I’m just drained,” said Lady Trojan coach Cyndi Burnett after her team improved to 6-2.

“It was great win,” she said. “Nobody had an awesome game, but everybody stepped up and did what we needed to do when we needed it.

“All night long we looked a little tired since it’s been a long road, but our seniors kept everyone engaged,” she said.

First, senior Skylar Cossaboon stepped up, serving for five straight points that helped wipe out a 20-14 Tabb lead. Then came senior Katie Ilch’s serve, good for four unanswered points that broke a 21-21 deadlock and secured a 25-21 win.

Ilch’s serve figured again in the fourth set. Two aces, the first handing New Kent the lead for good at 20-19 and the second opening a 23-19 advantage, helped send the match into a decisive fifth set.

“[Ilch] normally doesn’t serve for us,” Burnett said, adding that she inserted the middle blocker/outside hitter into the serving rotation after a teammate arrived late and missed pre-game warm-ups.

The move, meanwhile, could become permanent. Ilch recorded a team-high 10 aces.

Tabb became its own worst enemy in the final set. After Millie Rudolph’s kill at the net put New Kent in front 10-8, the Tigers overtook the hosts at 10-all. But the next five New Kent points that ended the match resulted from Tabb errors.

Rudolph led with winners with a dozen kills, most coming off Gina Sledd assists (26). On defense, Sledd led with 16 digs while Olivia Foster and Rachel Byers managed 13 apiece.