Eagles fall to Highlands and Blue Ridge and leave tournament empty handed
The ladies played hard winning set one with Scotts Creek, but couldn't hold the lead, later falling to Highlands and Blue Ridge.
The Lady Eagles traveled to Smoky Mountain High School Saturday to compete in the Jackson County Invitational tournament. The Eagles started out slow, as the ball control and quick returns of Scotts Creek Middle were catching the girls in transition. The Eagles struggled to pass the ball and dropped the first set 23-25. In the second set, the girls got warmed up and serving improved as well. The Eagles made quick work of Scotts Creek in the second winning 25-16. In the third, the ladies jumped out to an early lead, but as was the story the rest of the day, the girls let teams get back in games late in sets. With the score 12-5, Scotts Creek climbed all the way back and tied the game 13-13. The Eagles dropped 3 final serves for Aces and won the first game and set 3, 15-13.
Back
In round two it was off to play Highlands. The Eagles made huge improvements, especially the play up front from Lucy Barry who started the Eagles off with 2 blocks and kills at the net. The points went back and forth until the bitter end. The Eagles led 20-19, when the final server for Highlands drove in 6 straight points and downed the Eagles 25-20. In set two, the Eagles dominated the whole set. They out hustled, out played, and out performed the Highlanders. Ella Jane Dow served excellent, dropping 7 straight points into Highlands territory, and the Eagles held a commanding 19-14 lead. However, as a continuing theme, Highlands managed to find a weak spot in the Eagles back line and served 7 straight aces of their own, and what looked like a sure bet for the Eagles turned into a loss, as they fell in set two 25-20.
In the third game of the day, the Eagles faced Blue Ridge for a chance to climb back into the tournament winners bracket. The starters for the Eagles suffered as their ball control diminished. The bench for the Lady Eagles came in and did a great job. Milli Watts had a pair of aces, as did 8th grade Riley Weatherly. Vivian Geren passed the ball extremely well, and the bench put the Eagles up 20-17. The pattern continued for the Eagles, however, and they failed to finish the game falling 23-25. The Eagles believed and demonstrated all day that they had what it takes to beat favored teams, but their closing ability proved their downfall. In set two, the Eagles were winning 16-4, and showed their dominance throughout the entire set. Passing, hitting, and serving was all going smoothly. However, when they reached point 20, the Eagles shut down. Blue Ridge managed to get the best of them as they served two consecutive times for 6 and 8 points each. The Eagles were unable to handle the ball, and now they were tied at 24. On two missed attacks by the Eagles, they were eliminated from the tournament and were sent home, losing 26-24 in the final set.
Coach BySura had this to say after the game, "The ladies had moments of greatness today. For that I am proud of them. They played hard, and they proved they can play with the best teams in the area. Ball control, having vision on the court, and finishing games were the overall theme of team talks. I'd love to say I am happy with the outcome, but I'd be fooling myself and the girls if I said we shouldn't have closed those last two games out as wins. They have the skill and ability to be incredible volleyball players. I hope they keep working towards their goals, and I hope they keep their heads up. They are still very young and have a lot more volleyball ahead of them."
The Eagles close out the season Monday against Cullowee away. 4:30 PM start time.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School
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Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is a private, coeducational day and boarding school for grades Pre-K through 12. Centrally located between Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, and Asheville, NC, we prepare young people for college, career, and a lifetime of leadership and service.
