Lady Trojans serve way past Smithfield in straight sets

Lady Trojans Kaitlyn Claytor (l) and Jada Evans zero in on a Smithfield serve.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Overcoming a sluggish start, New Kent’s Lady Trojans edged Smithfield’s visiting Packers in the first set of Tuesday’s best-of-five volleyball encounter. Then it was all New Kent from there as the hosts employed clutch serving to dominate on the way to a straight set 25-23, 25-17, 25-10 triumph.

New Kent trailed 21-19 late in set one before overtaking their guests (21-21) on a Madison Beasley spike. A Smithfield miscue put the hosts ahead to stay (24-23) before Katrina Swaine’s kill at the net closed the set.

Afterward, Lady Trojan head coach Cyndi Burnett slapped the “ugly” label on her team’s opening performance.

“We missed a lot of serves,” she said. “We missed six first serves and about 10 or 12 second serves.”

But the break between sets provided ample opportunity for the coach to rectify the situation.

“We talked about how we needed to get a little more focused, and we did,” she said.

Although not before Smithfield jumped out to a 4-2 advantage in set two. From there, however, New Kent’s serving prowess took control of the match.

Millie Rudolph served for three straight points, topping her run with an ace for a 5-4 Lady Trojan lead. Next up, Sydney Griffith who drilled five aces, including three in a row, as the hosts pulled away to a 14-6 lead.

“That’s the best I’ve seen Sydney serve this year,” Burnett said. “And her serving was critical because it got everybody pumped up.”

Back-to back spike kills from outside hitters Kaitlyn Claytor and Rudolph, both off Emiley Angle assists, widened to gap to 21-10 before the Packers staged a mild rally. But the guests could draw no closer than seven before outside hitter Zoe Smith’s kill ended the set.

Griffith served for eight straight points, adding to her game-high nine kills on the night, as New Kent opened a 12-4 lead in the third and final set. Smithfield never threatened, and Swaine recorded the second of her two blocks for the game to put the contest in New Kent’s win column. The Lady Trojans improved to 3-2.

Beasley led the hosts in kills with six followed by Smith’s four and Claytor and Rudolph with three apiece. Angle dished out 13 assists and delivered eight aces while Paige Simpson contributed three aces to go along with her eight assists. Rudolph finished with four aces, and on defense, Griffith managed a team-high six digs.

“We’re a young team with seven new players on the roster,” Burnett said. “Everybody got to play, and this is a good win for us. We’ll need all the wins we can get.”