Charles City’s hot start fizzles, West Point sweeps Lady Panthers on Senior Night

Charles City’s Jaela Smith lets out aggressive energy as she returns the ball with a bump in the opening set.

Robb Johnson photo

After an emotional start full of energy and excitement during Thursday night’s home game against the visiting West Point Lady Pointers, Charles City’s Lady Panthers looked to ride that momentum in an attempt to upset the visitors on Senior Night. Instead, that energy took a complete 180-degree turn as the match proceeded.

After providing the guests an early set scare, Charles City fell 14-25, 8-25, 5-25 to West Point, concluding the Fall 2022 season.

Early on, serves from Janiya Washington excited the crowd, notching three consecutive aces for an early 4-0 lead. That lead increased to 9-3 after Lady Panther Anija Brown tipped the ball over, forcing West Point to call a timeout.

The Lady Pointers were able to calm down, notching aces for themselves to spark a run that would see them take a 19-13 lead. While Brown did notch an ace to pull the Lady Panthers within five, six consecutive points by West Point closed out the first set in favor of the guests.

The energy that pushed Charles City early on faded in the next two sets for the Lady Panthers. Miscues in communication resulted in the visitors accumulating easy points. In set two, West Point jumped out 8-2 before winning in convincing fashion, while in set three a 9-1 run by the Lady Pointers was enough to put the game out of reach.

After the contest, Charles City Lady Panthers Head Coach Lillani Adkins reflected on the totality of the season.

“These young ladies fought hard every game and they have come a long way from where they started,” the head coach said. “Every day they gave their best effort, and the growth has been tremendous.

“The biggest thing for them is that they get caught up in the score and not the game,” Adkins added. “They played their best when they didn’t think about the scoreboard, and that is something I wanted to get across as a lesson that can be learned in life; they can’t control everything but the things they can manage, do it in a way where it benefits everybody.”

Charles City’s Lady Panthers will graduate four from their volleyball team. The Lady Panthers conclude their season with a record of 2-14.