Turning a corner
- Updated: September 28, 2019
Faith Christian finds its identity reaching finals of Decatur Heritage Invitational; Alexandria wins County Junior High Tournament
By East Alabama Sports Today
DECATUR – The Faith Christian volleyball team has spent all season trying to get out from the shadow of last year’s state runner-up team and establish its own identity. It may have finally done that by getting to the finals of the Decatur Heritage Invitational Saturday.
The Lady Lions lost to Athens Bible in the championship match 25-22, 25-23, but just getting to the finals was a victory in itself.
“We finally broke through a barrier and got to a final,” Faith coach Justin Kisor said. “I think it’s a monkey off our back. It’s just a relief they could get there. Hopefully we can use it for good and we got that monkey off our back and it’s not coming back.”
The Lady Lions finished second in Pool B to host Decatur Heritage. They beat Pool A winner Winston County 25-15, 18-25, 15-12 to get to the finals.
The championship match was tight throughout. The second set was tied at 23, but Faith missed a serve to fall behind and then Athens Bible put it away with a kill.
“I’ve been trying to push these girls to get to their potential,” Kisor said. “If we play to our potential we can beat anybody, if we don’t we’re average. This is a good day for us to kind of learn that we could play with anybody. For us to get past that wall and play like that hopefully it’ll be like a springboard.
“Our girls have been hard on themselves, they take everything to heart, and to have a little bit of success, just to see them smile and enjoy it, that’s gratification for me.”
Sydnee Johnson led Faith in the title match with nine kills, five blocks and 12 digs. Sarah Jessica Christjohn had eight kills and 13 digs. Jordan Campbell had 17 digs, Devan White eight and Sadie Huie six. Lily Becke had 16 assists.
For the tournament, Johnson had 60 kills, 10 blocks and 43 digs. Christjohn had 45 kills and 58 digs. White had 86 digs. Becke had 68 assists and Campbell had 61 digs.
Elsewhere Saturday, Alexandria came out of the loser’s bracket and defeated Ohatchee twice in the finals to win the Calhoun County Junior High Volleyball Tournament.
The Lady Cubs were the No. 1 seed, but were sent to the loser’s bracket by Ohatchee (25-15, 25-23) and fought their way back to the finals. They beat the Lady Indians 25-16, 25-19 to set up a winner-take-all final and won that 27-29, 26-24, 15-12.
Alexandria’s Kailey Dickerson was the tournament MVP. She was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Ava Johnson, Christian Hess and Madison Foster. The rest of the all-tournament team included Ohatchee’s Grayson Snow, Hannah Fitch and Ellie Carden; Oxford’s Tia Titi and Jamea Gaston; Pleasant Valley’s Maddie Schwabe and Lily Henry; White Plains’ Mallory Cobb; Weaver’s Kynlee Fulmer; Faith Christian’s Anna Kate Robertson; and Wellborn’s Samaura Thomas.
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