Lady Trojans fight off feisty Tigers in volleyball home opener
Tabb's Aundr'ana Ellis can only watch as New Kent's Zoe Smith (left) rejects her spike attempt with assistance from teammate Kaitlyn Claytor (14).Andre' Jones photo
With seven departures from last year’s team and only junior Sydney Griffith having the most returning experience, New Kent Lady Trojan head coach Cyndi Burnett knows the 2014 season will consist of tough foes and multiple trials. A Sept. 11 matchup against the visiting Lady Tigers of Tabb proved her theory correct.
New Kent overcame self-conscious mistakes and used two strong closing sets to top visiting Tabb 25-20, 21-25, 25-12, and 25-20 to win the home opener in four sets.
The hosts opened the contest, jumping out to a 7-1 lead in set one. New Kent built the lead to 13-3 after a Tabb error and maintained a nine-point opening set lead at 20-11 after a Tabb miscue.
But the feisty Lady Tigers preyed on that lead. First, New Kent’s serve went beyond the in line, and was followed up by Tabb’s Aundr’ana Ellis spike to cut the lead to 20-13. More errors by the hosts flourished a Tabb 8-0, cutting the lead to one (20-19).
But the Lady Trojans settled down. Mental errors by the guests allowed New Kent to control the tempo on the floor, with Griffith’s spike captured the first set.
The second stanza alternated among both teams, thanks to misplays on serves and miscommunications by teammates. After New Kent’s Kayla Davis blocked an Ellis spike attempt for a score, Tabb ramped up the pressure and pulled to a 21-16 lead. The guests would maintain the gap, winning 25-21 in the second frame after a Lady Trojan net violation.
The hosts settled down in the third set and begin to establish their dominance. After jumping up 7-1 and maintaining an 8-6 lead, New Kent strung together an 8-0 run, capitalized by consecutive aces from outside hitter Madison Beasley. With New Kent up 21-12, Griffith’s spike catapulted three additional points and a 25-12 victory in the third set.
Momentum carried over into the fourth stanza, with New Kent jumping up 4-1 after a long rally. Tabb rebounded, knotting the score at seven apiece. However, Emiley Angle’s serves once again lifted the hosts to an 11-1 run and a seemingly comfortable lead. Tabb refused to fade away, mounting one final rally and slicing the Lady Trojans’ lead to 22-20, forcing Burnett to take a time out. After the brief break, Zoe Smith found an open space on the floor for the score. Another Beasley spike was followed by a Griffith tap that could not be returned sealed the final scoring and the game for the hosts.
After the game, Burnett spoke about the early struggles that her team endured in the contest.
“We knew we were a better and more athletic team then they [Tabb] were,” she said. “We did not execute and during those series in the first and second set we lost a lot of points in the row.”
Burnett also commented on the unfavorable tough schedule that her team faced that helped her team tonight.
“We faced district favorites Grafton and Jamestown at their place in the same week at the beginning of the season,” she said. “This is a very, very tough district.
“I have a very young team this year,” she said. “Sydney [Griffith] has been hitting better and Madison [Beasley] is becoming more consistent. Overall, this is a good team and we have a lot of setters and hitters who are basically playing for the first time and are doing a good job.”
New Kent improves to 2-2 on the season.