Grafton’s aggressiveness overwhelms Lady Trojans in straight sets

Alaina Torres tries to make the save before the ball hits out of bounds.

Robb Johnson photo

After a loss at Bay Rivers’ powerhouse on Sept. 11, New Kent looked to bounce back against visiting Grafton Lady Clippers, another powerhouse in the district. However, the visitors’ tenacious offense combined with sloppy play by the Lady Trojans equaled a second straight defeat.

Grafton rolled in 16-25, 23-25, and 21-25 in straight sets during the Sept. 12 volleyball clash.

New Kent struggled in the opening set, seemingly overmatched by Grafton’s athleticism. Errors resulted in the Lady Clippers taking an 17-7 lead early. The hosts managed a mild 5-1 rally, but the momentum was literally killed as Lady Clipper Olivia Smalls converted on three straight spikes to clinch the set.

Another slow start placed New Kent in a 7-0 hole. But the hosts recovered, gaining a 23-20 advantage late in the set. But Grafton regained control, scoring the final five points to claim the second set.

The hosts started better in the third set, taking control of a back-and-forth affair to take an 18-13 lead. But Grafton ramped up the pressure, taking control of the set to rally and claim the match.

After the contest, Lady Trojans’ head coach Cynthia Burnett commented about the tough contest.

“Our passing was off and we weren’t setting tonight,” she said. “The first net was not our best.

“In sets two and three our passing got better,” Burnett added. “Wee have things that we need to work on. They struck harder than us and we were not effective enough with our digs.

“Tonight, they were just more aggressive than us,” the coach concluded.

New Kent’s record drops to 6-4 on the season.