Spring Creek defeats Rosewood in 4 sets

By Brandon Davis
Published in Sports on October 9, 2015 1:50 PM

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SEVEN SPRINGS -- Overcoming one's self plays a major role in winning.

Spring Creek proved that determination with a 25-20, 25-17, 13-25, 25-18 win over Rosewood on Thursday afternoon.

"Our team can tend to get ... if they get down on themselves, they tear themselves to pieces," Gators' head coach Staci Haynes said. "Once they get up on themselves, there's no stopping them."

The no-stop attitude showed in the fourth set.

The Gators got off to an 11-3 lead, but found themselves tied at 11-11. Rosewood junior Kendall Gurley served three aces. Senior Lexi Mercer and sophomore Tayzlie Tripple had one kill apiece -- not to mention the blocks from Mercer and Tripple.

Haynes called a timeout.

Spring Creek junior Alanna Price scored with a kill and served an ace soon after the timeout. Freshman Madison Sullivan scored for the Gators, giving her team a two-point advantage.

The Gators eventually won the set.

"They (Gators) weren't winning because the other team was making mistake after mistake after mistake," Haynes said. "Rosewood is a really strong team. We were winning because we were covering (and) we were down on every single ball.

"They (Eagles) were being aggressive on the net."

Mercer and Tripple seemed impossible to hit over. Block after block, the Eagles fought to win the fourth set, but came up short in the end.

Rosewood junior Ada Rivera had 13 assists, two aces and one dig. Mercer ended the game with eight kills, nine blocks and 10 digs. Tripple had 11 kills and two blocks, and Gurley had four aces for the evening.

"When we're together, we play really well," said Rosewood head coach Jennifer Cochran. "When we're not together, we play really crappy. They're (Gators) a great team. From their record, it doesn't do justice to how good they are.

"We made a lot of errors. We're young. I'm not displeased. I thought we hustled the entire game."

Rosewood (11-8 overall) travels to Lakewood next Tuesday, while Spring Creeks plays at home against Hobbton.

The Gators need to keep the no-stop attitude.

"I just encouraged them to go out there and make sure we don't play scared and that we were playing our hearts out every single time," Haynes said. "When they do that and they start to see they are capable and they don't want to play scared, they start playing like crazy."