New Kent uses rallies in each set to pull away from Smithfield

New Kent's Mackenzie Loveland positions herself to set up a teammate for a possible score.

Robb Johnson photo

New Kent’s Lady Trojans’ volleyball team is hoping their experience catches up with their talent level. A Sept. 8 contest against the visiting Smithfield Lady Packers showed what could be a bright future for the youthful squad.

Behind 11 kills from senior Aubrey Hyndshaw, New Kent swept Smithfield 25-17, 25-21, 25-21 in straight sets in the Bay Rivers District contest.

In the first set, both teams played evenly as neither side could gain an advantage. After a deadlock at nine apiece, the Lady Trojans rallied together for nine consecutive points, doubling up their counterpart 18-9 before capturing the set.

Both teams continued to battle evenly after transitioning into the second frame. With the score tied at 15 apiece, New Kent scored seven unanswered points, providing enough distance between themselves and Smithfield. The third set followed the same story, as after the score was tied at five apiece, New Kent put together a 12-5 run to take a 17-10 lead. Despite Smithfield attempting to fight back, Hyndshaw’s kill closed out the contest.

After the match, New Kent Lady Trojans’ Head Coach Stuart Burnett talked about the win but expressed that he’d like to see his team finish a little better.

“The one thing I talked about in the timeouts was that we had a nice lead, but we eased up a little and we let them (Smithfield) creep back in,” Burnett said. “It hurts because I can’t get subs into the game that need that experience.

“Overall, the team worked very hard,” he continued. “They listened to the coaching staff, and we have gone from a nine-senior team to a two-senior team with new setters. It’s a big change, but I am glad to see what I am seeing.”

New Kent’s record improves to 2-2.