Lady Cyclone outclassed by Daniel
Boone
By Marvin Birchfield
STAR STAFF
mbirchfield@starhq.com
The Elizabethton Cyclones' volleyball season
got started on Monday, but unfortunately it wasn't the start
they had hoped for, losing three straight sets to Daniel Boone.
It was a fast start that fizzled out quickly
for the Cyclones in the first match, as they lost by a final
of 25-9.
"Overall, we weren't ready to play in the first
game, and we gave Boone a lot of confidence. Their hitters
were having a great time putting the ball down on us and we
weren't doing anything about it," said Elizabethton coach
Leslee Bradley.
Elizabethton took a 4-2 lead in the early going,
with an ace serve coming from Trish McNeely and a kill by
Emilee Berry.
Daniel Boone went on a 7-0 run to grab a 12-6
lead, as their 5-10 junior, Vanessa Kinsler, was smacking
down the kills with no chance of being defended.
After an ace serve from Alicia Crawford to pull
within four, Elizabethton went on a drought to be outscored
by a total of 13-1 in the last half of the first match.
"When we got the opportunities we didn't take
advantage of hitting the ball. We're a good hitting team,
too," said Bradley. "We just tried to keep the ball in play
instead of putting the ball down and being aggressive."
The second contest was much better played by
Elizabethton, but it was still unable to overcome the hard-hitting
Trailblazers.
A kill knocked down by Jennie Powell and an ace
serve from senior outside hitter Rachel Osborne gave Elizabethton
the early 5-3 lead.
Daniel Boone came back to tie the contest at
9-9, when senior setter Laura Hilton placed the ball with
Kinsler making the kill.
The Trailblazers were having plenty success in
setting up their offense, with Hilton and Jamie Massengill
making the passes to the big hitters Kinsler, Haylee Collins,
and Brittany Byrd.
"We still have a lot we need to work on. Our
cover-ups are not where we need to be, and our defense is
still a little slow getting to some steps," said Daniel Boone
coach Shelia Clark. "Our hitting and setting have been there."
Elizabethton was outscored 16-6 in the final
stretch, which saw some nice defensive work at the net from
Brandi Forbes.
"My net played improved a lot through the second
and third games, so I think that helped us a lot," said Forbes.
"I think we need to be better prepared for games, because
we weren't in our first one today."
The Trailblazers were the team to set the pace
in the early part during the third set, which finally ended
in a 25-15 victory for Boone.
Boone jumped out to a 6-1 advantage, using a
couple of kills and an ace from sophomore Emily Werner.
"Of our six players, five of them were starters
from last year, and every one of them was trying to get implemented
into the game," said Clark. "I'm very tickled on how they
played, sometimes disappointed in them slacking off, but they
kept their intensity."
Elizabethton was able to roll off seven straight
scores with mistakes being committed by Boone, and three straight
ace serves from Osborne.
"I was feeling good with the swing, and that's
really what counts with the serves," said Osborne. "It takes
having the focus and being able to place it where the other
team has trouble with hitting it."
A block by Forbes on an attempted kill from Collins
gave Elizabethton an 8-6 lead, but it was short-lived, with
some tough play at the net coming from Kinsler.
"If we could have been ready the first game,
then I think we would have had a better chance beating them
in the second and third games," said Forbes.
The Trailblazers started hitting their stride
after a 10-10 tie as Hilton and Kinsler teamed up to score
four straight.
Elizabethton pulled within one when an assist
from Powell to Crawford made it 14-13, but Daniel Boone was
able to finish strong just like they did in their two previous
match-ups by going on an 11-2 run to end the game.
"We didn't work as well together as we should
have, and there wasn't much cooperation with everyone coming
together," said Osborne.
