CHESNEE, S.C. – Prior to their Region II-2A contest against Brashier Middle College, the Chesnee Eagles honored three seniors – Kaitlyn Barrett, Kyleigh Thompson, and Brie Smith – for their time and contributions to the volleyball program, which includes a state championship just last season.
The Eagles left no doubt on the court, as they swept the visiting Bengals in three sets (25-15, 25-16, 25-7). Chesnee never trailed by a deficit larger than three points over the entire contest. “It’s always a hard night because it’s so emotional,” said Chesnee head coach Katie Jolley. “By the third set, we were warmed up and ready to go. They really wanted to prove something during that last set and played amazing.” In the first set, Brashier Middle College took an early 3-0 lead, but the Lady Eagles fought back and pulled even at 12 before rattling off a 7-0 run, of which six points came off a serve run by Thompson. During the run, Barrett and Pearl Holloway combined for four kills. “I’ve played for Chesnee since middle school,” Barrett stated. “It’s never been about who the best player is or who is number one. It’s all about the team and how each of us care for one another. It’s not just one individual we all care about – we care about this team as a whole.” In the second frame, the Bengals jumped ahead 2-0 before seeing that lead quickly evaporate, as a Thompson serve keyed a 6-0 run and gave the Eagles a 6-2 advantage at that juncture, which they wouldn’t relinquish. “We definitely have each other’s backs,” Thompson remarked. “We want to get better at every practice and game. We want to make sure to give one hundred percent each time we step onto that court. If someone’s having a bad day, we’ll back them up, let them know that it’s okay, and that we’ll go get the next pass.” Chesnee opened the final stanza with a blistering 16-3 run and secured another victory in region play. A serve by Barrett provided a spark during the run, along with a 3-0 run by Smith during her serve in the frame. “I was homeschooled, so it’s been really cool to come and be a part of this community,” Smith added. “It’s honestly just a family here. It’s been really nice to be around other people that care for each other like this team does.” Chesnee (8-6, 6-1 Region II-2A) remains in a three-way battle for the top spot between St. Joseph’s (undefeated in region) and Landrum (one game behind Chesnee). “Even though we’re seniors,” Barrett said. “We want to leave our mark. We have a bunch of freshmen that came in this year, so we’re hoping that we can be good role models for them to improve and become better players.” All three seniors had impressive nights on Thursday as Kaitlyn Barrett led the way with twenty-five kills, nine digs, and four ace serves while fellow senior Brie Smith added six kills and eleven digs. Senior Kyleigh Thompson led the team in digs with twenty while also adding two kills for the Eagles. While Thursday night was about the seniors, Chesnee also got good nights from underclassmen Pearl Holloway, who led the team in assists with thirty-four while adding two kills, and Harley Grady who added seventeen digs in the match. The next match for the Lady Eagles will be on Tuesday, October 5th at home versus St. Joseph’s. The start time is scheduled for approximately 7 PM. Comments are closed.
|
Our Sponsors
. If you would like to join us as a sponsor please contact us at: [email protected]
Archives
October 2023
Categories |