New Kent sweeps Lafayette to capture Group 3A Region A championship
New Kent's Lady Trojans celebrate a regional championship and a state berth after defeating Lafayette in straight sets.Robb Johnson photos
The old adage in sports is that it’s hard to defeat a team three times in one season. But that was the task New Kent’s Lady Trojans volleyball team had to accomplish to earn a trip to the state quarterfinals in their third encounter with Lafayette’s Lady Rams. And while the visiting Lady Rams made the task as difficult as possible, it was the home team hoisting the trophy at the conclusion of the Apr. 15 game.
New Kent swept Lafayette 25-19, 25-16, 25-22 to capture the Group 3A Region A championship and earn a spot in the state tournament. They will travel to the Group 3A Region B champion on Apr. 20.
In the opening set, both teams competed in a back-and-forth affair that resulted in a tie at 15 apiece. While Lafayette held a height advantage to stuff the net, it was New Kent’s tenacity that propelled them to a 10-4 run, capped off with a spike and score from Darian Mason and an ace by Aubrey Hyndshaw.
In the second frame, New Kent and Lafayette once again battled to a 12-12 tie before Mason’s kill sparked another run. Along with errors made on the Lady Rams part, the hosts were able to claim the set.
In the third set, New Kent’s Haley Baker used her serving skills to notch three aces for the hosts. But with an 18-12 advantage, Lafayette rallied and eventually cut their deficit to a mere point (23-22). However, Baker was able to halt the rally with a score, setting up Hyndshaw’s ace to claim the match and lift the Lady Trojans to the win.
After the contest, New Kent Lady Trojans Head Coach Cynthia Burnett talked about her team not letting the moment overwhelm them.
“The team rose to the occasion and they were fired up,” said Burnett, whose smile could be seen under the mask. “They believed in themselves and the coaching staff believed in them.
“This is how we practice every day,” the head coach continued. “We got a great effort from our hitters and we were on. We practice our serving every day and they have been working on it in their club seasons, so it has carried over.”
New Kent libero Andrea Sorenson makes a dig at the ball on the sideline.