Sale Creek Wins Third Straight Region 3-A Volleyball Title

Abbey Burton MVP As Lady Panthers Sweep Community, Columbia Academy

  • Monday, October 9, 2017
  • John Hunt
The Sale Creek volleyball team is one step away from another trip to Murfreesboro for the TSSAA state tournament.

Taking care of business at home in the friendly confines of McEwen Gymnasium Monday night, the Lady Panthers cruised to a pair of wins in the Region 3-A tournament and improved to 35-12 for the season.

Sale Creek will be at home again on Thursday as they host a sectional match with the Region 4-A runner-up after winning the Region 3-A title for the third straight year.

But on a night when they had a successful fund-raising taco dinner for Lady Panther Tayla Willis, the volleyball team was never really challenged.

The Lady Panthers bolted to a 15-0 lead in the first set before defeating the Community Viqueens in the semifinal match by scores of 25-5, 25-12 and 25-14.

The championship match against the Columbia Academy Lady Bulldogs didn’t take much longer as Sale Creek cruised to another 3-0 sweep by scores of 25-11, 25-19 and 25-9.

Needless to say, veteran Sale Creek coach Debbie Hill had very little to complain about.

“This is what we’ve worked for all season.  We entered four invitational tournaments and didn’t win any of them, but we were looking ahead at the bigger picture.  Playing at home today was nice, but being the host team in a sectional match is even bigger,” she said as players, parents and other Sale Creek fans just stood around to visit with each other and celebrate.

“I think the biggest key for us tonight was our consistency.  Our goal is to not be too high or two low in any situation, but our motto for this season has been ‘If you can dream it, you can do it.’  I’m really pleased with how we played.

“I felt like we were relaxed for both matches as we knew we were prepared.  I’m really proud of Abbey Burton as she has really stepped up in recent weeks and has become a consistent, solid player,” Hill praised one of her six seniors, who was honored as the tournament MVP.

Burton, the grand daughter of legendary coach Don Burton for whom the Sale Creek court is named, had 16 kills, 19 digs and four aces in the championship match after recording nine kills, 15 digs and an assist in the opening match.

This young lady, who just celebrated her 18th birthday last Thursday and has been a member of the Sale Creek varsity for five years, was as happy as anyone when the final point had been scored.

“I’m really excited as we all played well.  I’ve been looking forward to this match for a long time and I can’t believe Thursday’s match will be my final match in this gym, but it should be fun,” she expressed later.

The Lady Bulldogs had advanced to the championship match with a 3-0 win over Marion County, winning by scores of 25-8, 25-15 and 25-8, but coach Kari Robinson was still happy, even after losing the second match of the day.

“I think we just ran out of gas in that last match, but Sale Creek has a phenomenal team.  We made one mistake after another, but I’m really proud of these girls as we’re going to the sectional round for the first time ever.

“It’s obvious that we didn’t play our best volleyball tonight, but our season isn’t over just yet.  But we have to be more consistent if we have any chance of advancing,” she added.

The Lady Bulldogs kept the scores close early on in both the first two sets, but Madysun Steele had five straight service points in the first one to help her team overcome a 5-4 deficit while Burton did the same in the second set with four straight service points that allowed Sale Creek to extend an 8-6 lead to 12-6.

The second set was by far the best for Columbia as the Lady Bulldogs were within 19-18 when Burton had a kill and Gracie Janow had two more for a more-comfortable 22-18 advantage.  A tip from Janow a minute later gave the set to Sale Creek and a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

The score was tied at 3-3 in the final set before Sale Creek scored four straight points, leading to a Lady Bulldog timeout.

Sale Creek scored 10 of the next 12 points before the second timeout by Columbia and the score never got any closer as the Lady Panthers were sensing victory at that point.

Steele and Janow joined Burton on the All-Tournament team.

Steele, who had 11 kills, 10 digs, five aces and five blocks in the first match, followed with 10 kills, 20 digs, three aces and two blocks in the final.  Janow had 11 kills and five digs in the second match after recording nine kills in the opening match.

Jayda Perry had 76 assists on the evening, including 45 in the final, while Morgan Weatherford had 35 digs for the two matches.  Avery Cox had 29 digs for the two matches.

SALE CREEK STATS VS. COMMUNITY:

Madysun Steele 11 kills, 10 digs,5 aces, 5 blocks
Abbey Burton 9 kills, 15 digs, 1 assist
Gracie Janow 9 kills, 2 digs, 2 blocks 
Jayda Perry 1 kill, 6 digs, 31 assists, 4 aces
Morgan Weatherford 19 digs 
Sydney Gibson 5 kills,3 digs, 2 blocks 
Avery Cox 2 kills,11 digs 
EmiLee White 7 digs, 2 aces
Lillie Morgan 3 kills, 2 digs, 1 block
Allison Smith 1 dig 

SALE CREEK STATS VS. COLUMBIA ACADEMY:

Abbey Burton 16 kills,19 digs, 4 aces
Madysun Steele 10 kills, 20 digs, 3 aces, 2 blocks
Jayda Perry 2 kills, 8 digs, 45 assists 
Morgan Weatherford 16 digs 
Gracie Janow 11 kills, 5 digs, 1 block
Sydney Gibson 4 kills,4 digs,4 blocks 
Avery Cox 2 kills, 18 digs
EmiLee White 1 dig 
Lillie Morgan 2 kills, 3 digs 
Allison Smith 4 digs, 2 aces
 

(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

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