Scrappy EW snaps 12-game skid in volleyball

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on September 18, 2013 1:48 PM

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PIKEVILLE -- Eastern Wayne figured, sooner or later, that its hard work would eventually produce a positive result on the volleyball court this season.

It finally happened Tuesday afternoon.

Senior setter Kendra Nash handed out 19 assists for the Warriors, who snapped a 12-game skid with a convincing 25-12, 25-17, 25-20 conquest of county archrival Charles B. Aycock in an Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference match.

"With the new conference, it's really tough teams that we've never seen before and we've played with them," Nash said. "Aycock, we knew we could come and out play with the same competitiveness we've played with (all season). We've had good defense (all season) and I think we stepped up our offense big time."

The Warriors covered the floor like a blanket and collected an eye-popping 71 digs against the Golden Falcons, who preferred to play safe instead of terminate the point. Eastern Wayne owned a slight 25-23 edge in total kills, but held Aycock to a .035 hitting percentage for the match.

The Golden Falcons (3-7 overall, 1-4 ECC) raced to a 4-0 lead in the opening set, only to see the Warriors knot the score at 8-8 and forge ahead 10-8 on three consecutive service aces by Mariah Stephens. Back-to-back kills from Myleah Jones and Ashley Darden tied the set at 10-all.

Eastern Wayne closed out the set with a monster 15-2 run that included six aces with Casey Young and Jenna Rouse on serve, and two kills from Erica Duke. Duke concluded the three-set sweep with four kills.

The Warriors followed the same blueprint in the second set.

Middle hitter Meredith Burroughs connected on consecutive kills to give Aycock its biggest lead in any set, 12-7, of the match. Eastern Wayne battled to a 15-15 tie and reeled off 10 of the final 12 points to take command of the match.

Rouse contributed four of her set-high six kills during the surge.

"When you come out and get a lead, you can't get comfortable and take a nap," first-year CBA head coach Emily Jordan said. "It's hard to wake up and play from a nap. All three sets we were up and said 'oh, there's our lead' and thought it was impossible for them to close the gap.

"They came ready to play. They had on full armor and we weren't quite dressed in it."

Their confidence building, the Warriors (1-12 overall, 1-4 ECC) grabbed an eight-point lead midway through the final set. The Golden Falcons (3-7, 1-4) pulled to within 21-17 on Katie Gay's solo block against Rouse, but could get no closer.

Sydney Schmeltzer's kill on set and match point sealed the outcome, and gave Eastern Wayne its first victory over Aycock since 2007.

"We've been playing good enough to win, but the schedule has been really tough and I've been really proud of the girls for not giving up when we haven't won," said Warriors head coach Tony Parrish, whose team had 15 aces and held Aycock to a .000 hitting percentage in the second set.

"The intensity has been there against everybody we've played, the determination, the desire. Today we got rewarded for playing like we have all season."