This hasn’t exactly been the season that Signal Mountain’s volleyball team had planned as it’s been a tough first month. After all, the Lady Eagles are the defending Class AA state champs and expectations had been high before the season began.
Senior Carlee Lowry, without question one of the best players around and the top returning player for the Lady Eagles, is now back to 100 percent after missing the first few weeks after ACL surgery. The difference she makes on the court is unbelievable.
And all of that came to life in a Monday match at Silverdale.
The Lady Eagles entered Monday’s non-district battle with nine wins against a dozen losses. The Lady Seahawks, on the other hand, came in with an 11-2 mark.
Silverdale breezed to a 25-11 win in the first set and still had plenty of momentum after a 28-26 battle in the second set went their way, but this match was far from over.
Playing what Signal Mountain coach Jennifer Redman called “our best match of the season by far,” the Lady Eagles won the final three sets and the match by scores of 25-20, 25-22 and 15-10.
“This just proves the team we can be when we play our hardest and work together, but I’m just glad we could shake off those first two sets,” Redman smiled following the match.
“We were able to make some key adjustments during the match and that’s something we haven’t done very well so far, but we were able to do that today and it was the difference. We served aggressively, played great defense and just stayed positive the whole time. Just a great team effort for us today.
“Silverdale was on fire in that first set and forced us not play very well, but we showed our grit as the match progressed and I’m hoping this is the turnaround we needed. I just kept telling them to keep working hard and that good things would eventually happen and they did,” she added.
Silverdale coach Geri Gearrin certainly didn’t make excuses when all was said and done.
“We had some great individual performances and girls off the bench also played well, but Signal Mountain made some big adjustments and we just didn’t keep up,” she said in her usual quiet tone.
“Signal Mountain is a great team and that’s why we play them, but I thought both teams played well and their defense just picked up toward the end. We win together and we lose together, so I’m not going to point fingers, but we have some young players on our team and a match like this is just a great learning experience as we approach post-season,” Gearrin nodded.
Signal’s only lead in the first set was at 5-4, but Silverdale’s serving was critical as five straight points from Reese Creekmore extended a 7-6 lead to 12-6. And then with the Lady Seahawks ahead 16-11 following a kill by Camryn Neal, sophomore Sophie Easterday ended the set with nine straight service points, including a pair of aces.
The second set was the best set of the day and again, Silverdale prevailed, but it wasn’t without a fight from the Lady Eagles.
Back-to-back kills from Faith Woods extended Silverdale’s lead to 23-19 before Redman called her first timeout. A kill from Elle Ramsey made it 23-10 before four straight service points from Emma Schleger put the Lady Eagles up, 24-23.
Kills from Signal’s Becca Rogers and Kate Gilbert knotted the score at 25-25 and 26-26 before the Lady Seahawks got a kill from Easterday and an ace from Neal for the 2-0 lead.
It would have been really easy for the Lady Eagles to toss in the white towel and just surrender at this point, but that was the last thing on their minds.
Back to back kills from Sydney Smith broke a 9-9 tie and put the Lady Eagles up by two. That lead increased to 20-15 before Makena Nance had four straight service points to make it 20-19. Two hitting errors by Silverdale made it 22-19 and the Lady Eagles were able to prevail following two kills from Smith and a set-ending ace from Schleger.
The Lady Eagles led the fourth set most of the way with a biggest lead of 19-13 following a kill from Gilbert. An ace from Nance trimmed the difference to 22-19 while kills from Neal and Woods and another ace from Nance knotted the score at 22-22.
A big block from Smith shifted the momentum back to Signal’s side and they evened the score as the Lady Seahawks ended the match with two hitting errors.
A kill from Silverdale’s Isabella Cofer knotted the score at 8-8, but back-to-back kills from Rogers and Smith put the visitors from by two and it didn’t get any closer as Rogers a kill and an ace to end the match.
Lowry finished the day with 19 kills and 24 digs while Rogers was equally effective with 18 kills, 19 digs, six blocks and two aces. Smith finished with 18 digs and nine kills while Ramsey was credited with 17 digs and 42 assists.
Silverdale will be on the road Tuesday to face Soddy Daisy while Signal Mountain will be at home for a key district match with Hixson.
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN STATS:
Emma Schleger – 15 digs, 3 assists
Carlee Lowry – 19 kills, 24 digs
Madison Shelton – 1 kill, 2 blocks
Sydney Smith – 1 ace, 9 kills, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 18 digs
Becca Rogers – 2 aces, 18 kills, 19 digs, 6 blocks
Kate Gilbert – 2 kills, 1 dig
Elle Ramsey – 3 kills, 17 digs, 42 assists, 1 block
Kate Lowe – 1 ace, 10 digs.
SILVERDALE STATS:
None available.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)