An improved service game helped the Caledonia High School volleyball team beat West Lowndes 3-0 (25-10, 25-13, 25-11) Tuesday night at the West Lowndes Gymnasium.
The Lady Confederates broke open a tightly contest match by scoring 10 of the first 12 points of the second set.
“We are working toward some of our goals,” Caledonia coach Samantha Brooks said. “We have already met some of our goals. We have wanted to be stronger as a team in the service game. We have improved in that area each match.”
The service game was on full display in the final set. Cara Hopper (12 aces, two kills, one block) converted eight straight service attempts into points, including four aces. West Lowndes closed within 11-4, only to have kills from Elisabeth Shepherd (two aces) fuel a match-clinching 9-3 run.
“We have put up a good effort all year,” said Caledonia senior middle hitter Stevi Carter, who had 16 aces and four kills. “We have played together for a while. We are comfortable with each other. That is the reason why we play so well together. We know each other pretty well.”
Some thought the Confederates might take a step backward this season after it lost five seniors to graduation. Instead, the player have built a chemistry based on hard work and togetherness.
“We have worked hard to pull ourselves together on the court,” said Caledonia sophomore setter Morgan Smith, who had two aces and nine assists. “We are close and we know each other. We have each other”s backs. What we lack in talent, we make up for in dedication.
“We work really hard in practice. We come early and leave late. Practice is a lot of fun because we really enjoy each other. We also know the harder we work, the better we can become as a team.”
The victory helped Caledonia improve to 7-2. Its only losses are to Corinth and Tupelo.
Elisha Collins had one aces and three kills, Ashley Langford had one kill, Sarah Freeman had two aces, two kills, and two blocks,
n In other action Tuesday, Starkville defeated Amory 3-1 (25-12, 25-10, 21-25, 25-10) to improve to 6-4.
“We were in both of those matches,” Carter said. “Both of them were tough losses. The key is to keep working hard and doing what we have been doing. We have good servers and good hitters. We set the ball effectively and we have a great coach who pushes us to be our best. The fundamentals are there. We just have to keep improving on some minor things. The other important thing is for the team to keep staying positive.”
Brooks echoes the sentiments of her ballplayers. Caledonia only two seniors and three juniors, which may not be good news as it looks to combine talented youth and emphasize hard work.
“The team is off to a good start,” Brooks said. “However, there are some things we are working on. The service game has been a pleasant surprise because it has consistently improved. We have a few other things that we are working on offensively. Defensively, we have come a long way this year. We have gotten quicker on the back line. That has been a big reason for our early success.”
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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