They celebrated Senior Night at Signal Mountain Thursday night, but those young ladies from East Hamilton spoiled the party.
Signal Mountain had been on a roll in the last couple of weeks as they had won eight straight matches while clinching first place in District 6-AA with a win at Red Bank Wednesday night, but they didn’t have an answer for the Lady Hurricanes as they won the non-district match in four sets.
East Hamilton breezed to wins in the first two sets by scores of 25-17 and 25-15 before the Lady Eagles made a few adjustments to win the third set, 25-19.
Momentum was clearly on Signal’s side at that point, but they couldn’t maintain it as the Lady Canes won the final set by a 25-21 final and the match.
East Hamilton improves to 25-8 overall while Signal Mountain is now 17-13.
“We had a specific game plan coming in and were able to execute it in the first two sets,” said East Hamilton coach Antonela Tomic Suzuki following the match.
“Signal started serving a bit more aggressive in the third set and that was the difference, but we had a nice comeback in the fourth and I’m proud of that. At the end, we seem to always find a way to win.
“Signal Mountain has a really good team and they put pressure on us in that third set, but we believe in each other and I just told our girls we had to ignore the distractions and just trust the process.
“We won our district and a match like this will help us get ready for the post-season,” the coach said in her usual quiet tone.
Signal Mountain coach Jennifer Redman hates to lose as much as anyone, but she was quick to admit that Thursday’s loss just might be the wakeup call that her girls were needing.
“That was the best thing that could have happened to us, but I just wish we could play them 10 times every season as they only make us better,” Redman said after eating a piece of cake following the match.
“I’m glad that we didn’t give up, but East Hamilton had a great hitting plan and there were times when we weren’t very smart with our hits. We just need to be more consistent and to be able to make the big plays when we need to make them.
“This match just shows us what we need to work on. I hate that it came on Senior Night, but I’m happy we played them at the end as this will help us get ready for those upcoming tournaments,” Redman nodded.
Signal Mountain has beaten a lot of teams using their one-two punch of Carlee Lowry and Becca Rogers up front. Both had double doubles on Thursday with Lowry recording a dozen kills and 24 digs while Rogers had 14 kills and 17 digs.
But more often than not, the Lady Canes were in perfect position to return those hard-hit balls. The Lady Eagles were able to make some adjustments midway through, but it was too little too late as the Lady Canes improved to 25-8 with the win.
The first set was close early, but a hitting error and a kill from Julia Culpepper put East Hamilton on top 5-3 and they never trailed again.
An ace from Sydney Smith got the Lady Eagles within shouting distance at 11-9, but the Lady Canes then reeled off six of the next seven points and were never threatened again as another kill from Culpepper wrapped up the opening set.
The Lady Eagles had two brief leads early in the second set, but seven straight service points from Maddie O’Brien stretched at one-point lead at 10-9 to 17-9 and the Lady Canes made it two in a row following a block from Savannah Hughes.
Georgia Dobson, who led East Hamilton with 17 kills and 17 digs, got a kill to start the third set before the Lady Eagles scored the next four points and Signal led the rest of the way.
An 18-10 Signal lead led to East Hamilton’s second timeout. They kept battling and got within three points at 22-19 following a kill from Dobson, but Signal claimed the set following kills from Lowry and Rogers and a Lady Cane hitting error.
The fourth set was probably the best set of the match as both teams battled for all they were worth. A kill by Dobson knotted the score at 11-11 before four straight service points from Hana Suzuki put her team up 15-11.
Three straight aces from Dobson a minute later gave the visitors a 19-13 lead. Back-to-back kills from Rogers and Smith got Signal within three at 22-19, but just as quickly, unforced errors by the Lady Eagles ended the match.
While Dobson was a difference maker for the Lady Canes, Suzuki followed with 41 assists, 17 digs, three aces and four kills. Morgan Prichard had 20 digs while Hughes had a dozen kills.
Smith joined Lowry and Rogers with double-doubles as she had 13 digs and 10 kills. Elle Ramsey also had a double-double with 33 assists and 11 digs. Emma Schleger was one of five Signal seniors honored and she responded by recording 18 digs.
Signal Mountain will be the top seed in the 6-AA tournament that starts at Red Bank on Tuesday while East Hamilton will be the number-one team in the 5-AAA tournament that will be played at Howard.
EAST HAMILTON STATS:
Kylee Johnson – 1 dig
Mattie O’Brien – 3 aces, 3 digs
Hana Suzuki – 3 aces, 4 kills, 17 digs, 41 assists
Georgia Dobson – 17 kills, 17 digs, 3 aces
Julia Culpepper – 6 kills, 1 block, 12 digs
Saylor Clark – 1 ace, 5 kills, 13 digs, 1 assist
Morgan Prichard – 1 kill, 20 digs, 2 assists
Savannah Hughes – 12 kills, 3 blocks, 2 digs
Camryn Daniels – 1 ace, 5 kills, 3 blocks, 6 digs.
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN STATS:
Emma Schleger – 18 digs
Carlee Lowry – 24 digs, 12 kills
Maddie Shelton – 1 kill, 1 block
Sydney Smith – 10 kills, 13 digs, 4 aces
Becca Rogers – 3 aces, 14 kills, 17 digs, 1 block
Kate Gilbert – 2 digs, 2 kills
Elle Ramsey – 11 digs, 1 block, 33 assists, 1 ace
Kate Lowe – 10 digs.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)