Lady Blues sweep Lady Hawks in three sets
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Britain Thayer earns a kill in the Lady Blues 3-0 win against Iowa Park on Oct. 11. Thayer finished the match with a season-high seven kills. After Oct. 18’s open date, the Lady Blues have three matches remaining in the regular season. Leader photo by Mike Williams -
Morgan Patterson (4) sets up Marilyn Milton (6) for a kill during the Lady Blues 3-0 win against Iowa Park on Oct. 11. Patterson lead the team with 21 assists in the win. After Oct. 18’s open date, the Lady Blues have three matches remaining in the regular season. Leader photo by Mike Williams
The Lady Blues volleyball team had issues when it comes to closing out matches this season. That was not the case on Oct. 11 when the Lady Blues defeated Iowa Park in straight sets, 25-13, 25-13, 25-12. Throughout the match, the team played possibly the best defense the team has played all season, only giving up 11 points on kills in the entire match.
“We’ve consistently finished on top of the district, and when you’re there, there is always a constant target on your back,” coach Marci Faulk said. “That’s a good thing for the girls because they have to stay sharp no matter who they play.”
From the start, the Lady Blues controlled the play. Iowa Park had issues setting up their offense and allowed for easy points for the Lady Blues. “When (Iowa Park) served to us, we did a really great job terminating that possession instead of letting them rally with us,” Faulk said. Faulk was particularly impressed with the four seniors on her team. Chloe Menard (10 kills), Alex Husen (nine kills) and Britain Thayer (seven kills) combined for 26 kills. Thayer’s seven kills were a season-high. Lilli Brockway had five digs from the backline.
The match was a textbook example of strong defensive play, setting up an aggressive offense. The Lady Blues combined for 26 digs, with Menard leading the team with 11. Morgan Patterson’s active play in the attack continued with 21 assists. The Lady Blues combined for 33 kills. Patterson and Aubrey Illes combined to score on five aces. Illes’ aces could have been what shut the door on Iowa Park in the third set. The Lady Blues jumped ahead quickly in the third, which is something they have struggled to do. Illes scored both of her aces back-to-back to make the score 15-8 and forced an Iowa Park timeout.
For the rest of the story, see the Wednesday, Oct. 16 edition of The Graham Leader.
