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Brevard wins over SM in conference opener
Brevard defeated Smoky Mountain 25-19, 21-25, 22-25, 25-22, 16-14 in the Western Athletic Conference volleyball opener last Thursday at the SM gym.
“We just let it get away,” Coach Ken Walker said. “We’re not finishing matches. This was a tough week for us because we had two games in the bag but didn’t finish.”
Amy Haggard put down 17 kills and had 11 digs. Kelli Woodard added 10 kills while Sarah Haggard contributed 23 assists and nine kills. Brittany Gilbert added 10 digs.
The Lady Mustangs (5-4, 0-1) jumped to an 8-2 lead in the first game when Sarah Haggard served four points, including an ace, and Amy Haggard had two kills. Amy Haggard’s four points and a Kelly Childress kill made it 14-9. The Lady Devils roared back to lead 20-16 and go on to the win.
Smoky Mountain’s Sarah Haggard provides an assist for a teammate in last Thursday’s match with Brevard. Haggard had 23 assists in the five-game loss. – Photo by Mark Haskett
Neither team had more than a two-point lead in game two until Childress served the final four points, including two aces. The game ended on Woodard’s kill.
Gilbert served four points and Woodard put down three straight kills as SM moved in front 9-7 in the third game. Megan Taylor served the last two points, including an ace, and the game ended on Amy Haggard’s kill.
The Lady Devils built a 14-9 lead in game four, but SM rallied to lead 17-15 after Woodard served three points and Cassie Randall had a kill. The Lady Mustangs were up 21-17 when Amy Haggard served two points with Randall having a kill and a block, but Brevard closed the game on an 8-1 run.
The fifth game was close all the way with neither team up by more than two points. SM held off one match point before Brevard clinched it.
“We’ve dug ourselves a hole in the conference,” Walker said. “We have to beat teams like Brevard at home. Now we will have to steal one at their place.”
Amy Haggard led in service points with 16 while Sarah Haggard and Woodard had 10 apiece. Taylor was perfect in 16 serves. Amy Haggard served 95.8 percent followed by Childress (91.7) and Woodard (90).
Team serving was 92.5 percent.
The Lady Mustang JVs fell to 3-6 with a 25-18, 8-25, 25-23 loss.
“We played really well in games two and three, but we gave it away by not coming out and playing in the first game,” Coach Natasha Wilson said. “We have to play hard from the beginning of the first game.
“Brittany Woodard made some real smart decisions setting the ball,” she added. “Martha Turpin came in and played a great game at the net.”
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