Gallery by Tina Laney
Wyoming East head volleyball coach Tabitha Lusk expressed before the season started that she felt like her young team would turn some heads this year.
People are starting to take notice.
Coming off a solid performance at the Nicholas County Invitational, the Warriors split a tri-match Thursday night with James Monroe and Independence in Coal City.
“I saw a group of really young girls getting the job done tonight. At certain times during our rotation, I have four freshman on the floor playing varsity volleyball,” Lusk said. “I am beyond proud of them and how they are doing this season.”
All three teams picked up a win Thursday with Independence rallying to beat James Monroe, 2-1 (17-25, 26-24, 25-20), before the Mavericks topped Wyoming East, 2-0 (25-14, 25-20). The Warriors then knocked off Independence, 2-1 (17-25, 25-19, 25-12) in the finale.
In earning the split with the Mavericks and the Patriots, the performance by Wyoming East highlighted both their youthfulness and the potential that lies ahead in years to come.
In set one against James Monroe, the Warriors fell victim to a 9-0 run late in the match. Three aces from Sadie Mann and two kills from Aliyah Clarkson sparked the rally for the decisive win.
Wyoming East controlled set two and held an 18-14 lead before another explosion from the Mavs turned the tables.
Three kills and a block from Clarkson and two kills from Ava Pitzer were all part of 10-1 burst that sent James Monroe to victory.
“We have a lot of young players starting. So, we can be a little inconsistent, but we are starting to put it together and they are starting to play like a team,” James Monroe head coach Julie Bradley said. “I have some great seniors and they are really helping to bring these young players along. We like to hit and we are not afraid to swing.”
After dropping the first set to Independence in the nightcap, Wyoming East caught fire led by its powerful front line.
Trailing 2-0 in the second set, the Warriors ran off nine straight points aided by two blocks and a kill from Carli Raye and two kills from Kaitlyn Trent.
The Patriots made a charge late in the set trimming the lead back to one point at 20-19, but East did not waiver. Two kills from Julia Williams, one from Maddy Bower and an ace from Raye helped the Warriors close on a 5-0 run for the win.
Forced to play defense mostly with its back row last year due to a lack of size, now East has the size to attack up front as well.
“That is super exciting for me as a coach because none of them are upperclassmen. They are all young girls that are just excited to play volleyball,” Lusk said. “This group of girls is probably the most eager group of girls that I have every had. That makes my job so much fun. They just want to get better and they don’t care who scores, as long as it is one of our six girls on the floor. I don’t have anybody that wants to be a superstar this year and that also makes for an amazing team.”
The Warriors never trailed in set three against Independence and turned a 9-7 lead into a lopsided win that featured 11 kills. Raye recorded five blasts, while Bower had three and Trent two. Raye also had two blocks.
After beating Independence in Summersville, Lusk was excited to see her team fight back for another win Thursday over the Patriots.
“It’s a big deal. I have been coaching this team for over five years and this year is the first time that we have ever beat Independence,” Lusk said. “I guess going back in school history that it has been as much as 10 years since we have been able to play with any of these Raleigh County schools.
In the opening match of the night Independence was down and looked out, but stormed back on James Monroe. After dropping the first set, the Patriots trailed 24-19 in set two before scoring seven straight points for the win.
Aubrey Cantrell recorded two of her five kills in the set during the run and Kamryn Wooten had a pair of aces.
The Patriots then jumped on the Mavericks quickly in the third set to build a five-point lead that carried late in the match.
James Monroe made one last charge and trimmed the lead to one point at 17-16, but it could get no closer. Indy ran off six in a row and cruised to the win.
“We just need to get a little more grit to fight back when we are down and not let teams come back when we have that lead,” Bradley said. “The younger one are not wanting to make mistakes and let the older one down, but the older players are right there to support them. They are all supporting each other and they are starting to gel.”
It was a frustrating night for Independence head coach Kevin Bragg who saw his team rally for a big win over the Mavericks and then drop the final two sets to Wyoming East.
“We just have to keep plugging. I don’t know what else to do. This stuff happens sometimes. I am still trying to figure this one out,” Bragg said. “I thought Kamryn was strong. I thought Aubrey was strong and Jaina (Davis) is always solid. We were solid most of the night, but we are like a light switch sometimes. It turns into a downhill spiral.”