The Dalton State volleyball team cruised to an easy victory Saturday over visiting Truett-McConnell. The win, in three straight sets, was the first home triumph ever for any DS team.
Then Dalton Junior College had years of prominent basketball teams over 30 years ago. The Roadrunners, now part of a much larger four-year institution, are in the infant stages of a first-year athletic program.
It was the second home match for DS volleyball. Both contests were held in the Dalton High School gym.
Dalton State (2-6) started fast in Saturday’s first game and never looked back with a 25-18 victory. The score went back and forth in game two before the Lady Roadrunners used the serving of Kailey Vaughn to gain the 10-point win, 25-15. The result of game three was never really in doubt. Dalton won 25-9.
“It was nice to get our first win at home,” said coach Bruna Langner after the match. “I thought we were sharp in some areas and obviously need some work in others.” The match also saw everyone on the roster see the court for valuable playing time and experience.
Alyne Bianchi had 8 kills and 6 digs; Savannah Nelson tallied 8 kills and 7.5 blocks; Kailey Vaughn had 6 kills and 2 digs; Clarissa Weber had 3 kills and 9 assists and Cassie Cochran had 3 kills. Megan Clark led DS in digs with 10. Ashley Nations had 3 digs and Viviana Garcia added 2.
Truett-McConnell’s Sarah Conart had a match high 13 digs. The Lady Bears Brittany Foster and Liz Norton each had 2 kills.
Back On The Road
With Bandy Gym on the Dalton State campus undergoing a major renovation that will be completed following this season, the volleyball team has played six of the first eight games on the road.
The traveling will continue on Saturday, September 28, as they play two games at Milligan College near Elizabethton, Tn. The Lady Roadrunners face the Lady Lions of Bryan College at 1:00 p.m. They then play Milligan’s Lady Buffaloes at 3:00 p.m.
Milligan College is located just outside of Elizabethton and minutes from downtown Johnson City in northeast Tennessee.
Dalton State returns home on Tuesday, Oct.r 1, to host Breneau College at 7:00 p.m. The home court will move to Dalton Parks and Recreation Department’s Mack Gaston Community Center at the corner of Martin Luther King and Fredrick streets.