Lady Phoenix display potential with split on opening night
The Sonoraville Lady Phoenix opened the volleyball season on Tuesday with some high notes at times to come away with a split in a home trimatch at the Sonoraville Rec.
Sonoraville ( 1- 1) opened the evening with a tough test against last year’s Class AA State runner-up Coosa and went toe-to-toe with them before falling in three sets. The Lady Phoenix rallied from behind to win the first set 25-23 over the Lady Eagles. Coosa then turned the tables on the host as they trailed 23-22 in the second set before reeling off three straight points to earn a 25-23 win and force the decisive third set.
Coosa used the momentum to earn a 15-10 win in the third set to clinch the match. Among the stat leaders in the match for Sonoraville was Kinsey Wilson with four kills, three digs and an assist, Anissa Hales with six digs, one ace and one kill, Bree Steely with seven assists, Skylar Huskins with two digs, two aces and one kill, Hannah Wehunt with five assists, Alea Johnson with three kills and one ace and Raleigh Hooper with three kills.
After Coosa finished their night 2-0 with a twoset victory over Gordon Lee, the Lady Phoenix bounced back with a victory of their own in the final match against the Lady Trojans.
Sonoraville took the first set 25-22 and com- pleted the two-set match victory with a 25-20 advantage in the second set. Steely had an impressive match with six kills, six assists, three digs and a block, and Wilson added five kills and six digs. Also contributing in the stat column was Hales with eight digs and one kill, Wehunt with eight assists, Johnson with two kills and three assists, Huskins with eight assists and Hooper with two kills.
Sonoraville coach Trace Vaughn said he was pleased overall with how his team competed against two quality teams in their season opener.
“It was great to finally get on the court,” said Vaughn. “The girls were getting a little stir crazy just practicing every day, and it was nice to hit the ground running against two traditionally-strong teams. We came out a little slow against Coosa, but once we got going, we played well. Coosa is a very good team, and their middle blocker intimidated us a little at the first of the match. But once I called a timeout and reminded them that we are one of the best defensive teams around, we settled down and started playing. This team has no quit in it. It was good to bounce back with a win against Gordon Lee. We came out a little flat again against them, but we turned it around.
“We played well overall. I’m pleased with our first night out how we played. We had good effort, but we just need to set the ball to the right people at the right times.”
The Lady Phoenix showed their ability to rally after slow starts to sets throughout the two matches, and Vaughn said while he was pleased with that, he hopes to come out a little more focused to begin sets as the season goes on.
“That doesn’t really seem like our personality,” said Vaughn. “I think some of it had to do with first-night nerves, but we need to talk a little more about being dialed in at the beginning of sets. We are usually a pretty loose bunch and have fun while we’re warming up. I still want them to have fun but not to where it takes away our focus from being ready.”
It was bit of a special return for Vaughn as well on Tuesday as it was his first game back as head coach after a one-year hiatus from the job last season. He said he found himself with a few jitters of his own, but once the flow of the match got going he found himself in a familiar place leading the girls.
“I’ve been nervous, and in the short period of time I wasn’t out here, I didn’t realize some of the things I had forgotten,” said Vaughn.
“The girls had to remind me of some things. I guess I was a slow starter tonight just like the girls. Them being down at the first of the Coosa match, and me having to call a timeout to get them going…I think that helped me get back into things. Maybe that slow start was what we both needed.”
The Lady Phoenix are younger than they have been in a few years as well as the 2017 season gets going as they lost a large group of seniors from last year’s team and have no seniors on the roster this Fall. Vaughn said it’s going to be a constantly learning and improving team over the next couple months, and he hopes certain players and the team as a whole is dramatically better from the first night to the final match.
“Our two middles are both freshmen so we’re still explaining and teaching them the game,” said Vaughn. “But they are like sponges. Everything is different in matches, but they are learning the little things. I think Game 1 to our final game, they will improve in a big way. Everything I say, they eat it up.
“And as a team, we’ve got to learn how to play together better and learn how to hit the ball. But I’m excited about the potential this team has.”
The Lady Phoenix were back at home on Friday for a contest against Gordon Central. (For details on that match, see Wednesday’s Calhoun Times.) They will be on the road on Tuesday at Kennesaw Mountain for a tri-match with Kennesaw Mountain and Cherokee starting at 5 p.m.