PV sweeps at Saks
- Updated: August 27, 2016
Lady Raiders run table in Saks Invitational, beat surprising finalist Faith Christian in title match; also, Oxford, White Plains results
Cammy Cochran had five kills in Pleasant Valley’s championship match victory over Faith Christian. On the cover, the Lady Raiders collect the trophy. (Photos by Brant Locklier)
By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today
It was all Pleasant Valley Saturday as the Lady Raiders swept their way to the Saks Invitational volleyball tournament.
The Lady Raiders went 5-0 in the 10-team event, defeating surprising Faith Christian in the final 25-17, 25-17. Faith won its pool with a huge win over host Saks.
“I was very proud of our kids,” PV coach Dana Bryant said. “They played with enthusiasm, they had fun, they pushed their limits all day and they kept working and challenging themselves.”
The Lady Raiders were playing without Bryant’s daughter Anna, who continues on the road back from a terrible head injury she sustained during the softball season. Anna was cleared for sports in July and she’ll make a strong team even stronger when she returns.
“She is just a couple of weeks away from coming back,” Dana Bryant said.
The Lady Raiders were clicking on all cylinders Saturday. They defeated Ohatchee 25-11, 25-12; Donoho 19-25, 25-11, 15-9; Ranburne 25-13, 25-15; Etowah 25-7, 25-13 and Faith.
In the finals, their crisp passing and setting helped Cammy Cochran, Alisa St. John, Leah Johnson and Mikayla Kendrick deliver punishing kills and bewilder the Faith defenders.
The Lady Lions reached the finals by beating Wellborn 25-14, 20-25, 15-10; Sacred Heart 25-19, 25-15; and losing to Carrollton (Ga.) 25-21, 25-22. In their last pool game they upset undefeated Saks 25-20, 25-17 behind the kills of Cornelia Simpson and Nicole Frechette.
Zana Christjohn had a six-point service run at 18-16 in the second set against Saks to help put the set and match away.
“We played better as the day went on,” Faith coach Bradley Dawson said. “We made some errors that we have to correct, but I was so proud of how we played. I told the girls that if we can pass and set well we can play at a high level, and we were able to do that.”
They just could not match up with Pleasant Valley’s power game in the finals, but it was a very promising performance for the smallest school in the tournament.
Simpson had 18 blocks, 12 aces, 18 kills and 31 digs in the tournament. Frechette added 18 aces, 21 kills and 24 digs. Emily Sills had 20 kills, 10 aces and 14 digs. Abby Emerson had 66 assists and Abby Kazanjian had 38 digs and 13 aces.
SAKS INVITATIONAL
Pool A
Saks def. Sacred Heart, 25-19, 27-25
Faith def. Wellborn, 25-14, 20-25, 15-10
Carrollton (Ga.) def. Sacred Heart, 25-14, 25-23
Saks def. Wellborn, 25-21, 25-15
Carrollton (Ga.) def. Faith, 25-19, 18-25, 15-10
Sacred Heart def. Wellborn, 25-17, 25-23
Saks def. Carrollton (Ga.), 25-21, 25-22
Faith def. Sacred Heart, 25-19, 25-15
Wellborn def. Carrollton (Ga.), 20-14, 17-25, 15-10
Faith def. Saks, 25-20, 25-17
Pool B
Pleasant Valley def. Ohatchee, 25-11, 25-12
Donoho def. Etowah, 25-16, 25-15
Ranburne def. Ohatchee, 25-14, 25-23
Pleasant Valley def. Donoho, 19-25, 25-11, 15-9
Ranburne def. Etowah, 16-25, 25-21, 15-7
Donoho def. Ohatchee, 27-25, 22-25, 15-9
Pleasant Valley def. Ranburne, 25-13, 25-15
Etowah def. Ohatchee, 25-18, 25-21
Donoho def. Ranburne, 25-15, 25-12
Pleasant Valley def. Etowah, 25-7, 25-13
Championship Match
Pleasant Valley def. Faith, 25-17, 25-17
Cornelia Simpson (4) digs one out for Faith Christian during its championship match with Pleasant Valley.
White Plains wins its event
The Lady Wildcats swept to the championship of their own invitational with victories over Weaver (25-13, 25-17), Cleburne County (25-19, 25-12) and Piedmont (25-7, 25-15).
Ryleigh Randall had 61 assists, seven aces and nine digs for the Lady Wildcats (4-1) in the tournament. Landry Bussey was tough at the net with 16 kills, three blocks and five aces.
The remainder of the lineup: Destani Alverado (11 kills, three digs); Rian Chandler (eight kills, four digs); Katelyn Barnett (nine digs, four aces); Lucy Medders (10 digs, two aces); Hannah Barno (seven kills, two blocks, three digs); Korie Burgess (26 digs, six aces); Isabella Pinto (29 digs, three aces); Jocelyn Harris (eight kills, two digs).
“We are a much better team than we showed Thursday night (in their opener against Faith and Wellborn),” White Plains coach Joi Watts said. “Our goal right now is to not take any plays off; today we played with that mentality.”
Oxford in Boddie Tournament
HOOVER – The Lady Jackets went 2-4 in the 33rd annual Juanita Bodie Tournament, going 1-2 in matches that went to a tie-breaking third set.
Oxford defeated John Paul II (25-20, 29-27) and Northside (22-25, 25-17, 15-7) in the tournament and lost to Siegel (25-23, 25-13); 7A No. 6 Grissom (25-10, 25-15), Arab (26-24, 13-25, 25-17) and Daphne (25-16, 14-25, 15-9).
Here are the numbers: Alex Hammond (43 digs); Alex Gomez (22 digs, 11 kills, four blocks); Nyia Archie (32 kills, six blocks); JoJo Skinner (30 kills, 32 digs); Rachel Uhrin (20 kills, eight blocks); Chloe Stone (33 digs, eight aces, 90 assists).
The Lady Jackets (4-4) return to the floor Tuesday at Jacksonville in a best three-of-five match that will provide a snapshot of how they’ll match up with county opponents. They beat Alexandria on their Opening Day last week.
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