Lady Lions go 1-3 at Cumberland Tourney
The Lady Lions volleyball team went 1-3 this weekend at their opening tournament of the 2005 season. The Lions traveled to Cumberland University in Lebanon, TN, to face regional rivals Brescia University, Bethel College, and state rival Cumberland University.
On Friday, the Lions displayed first-game nerves as they dropped to Brescia 3-0 (16-30, 23-30, 28-30). The Lions were out of sync the entire first game, but began to settle down during the second game behind solid play from Captain Kim Barlow. In game three, the Lions could not finish a 27-25 lead, and gave up a 3-point run to finish the match.
Brescia's quicker offense was a little too much for the Lion's first contest. Barlow begin her season with solid hitting numbers, with 9 kills (.350) and 7.5 blocks. Utility player Kathryn Rawley has displayed great leadership as she steps into the setter role while freshmen Samantha Smith and Liesl Schoenhals recover from injuries. Rawley was solid, with 24 assists. Freshmen starters Robin Renfroe and Kaylin Carswell struggled in their debuts, but displayed glimpses of good things to come in the near future.
The Lions did not fare much better against Cumberland in their second Friday match, losing 3-0 (21-30, 19-30, 20-30). Despite the overall score, there was improvement on the floor as the Lions began to settle their offense. Barlow was stellar at the net, with 15 kills on a strong .591 hitting percentage, along with 4.5 blocks. Abby Humphrey finished with 8 strong kills, 9 digs, and a strong serve reception rating.
Saturday morning, the Lions took on Bethel College of Tennessee, losers in their two opening matches on Friday as well. Bryan took early control of the match with two quick wins (30-25, 30-20) and appeared on their way to a quick 3-0 victory. But a bad start to the third game cost them momentum, and Bethel held on to take the last three games for a 3-2 victory. Final scores were 30-25, 30-20, 20-30, 27-30, 13-15). Kathryn Rawley led the Lions with 44 assists and 14 digs, her first double double. Abby Humphrey had a strong showing with 17 kills and 11 digs, her first double-double of the season. Kim Barlow was strong as well with 15 kills and 5 blocks in a losing effort.
After a short reprieve, the Lions returned in the consolation championship to face Bethel again. After a rough start, falling behind 14-4, the Lions seized control, catching Bethel at 18-18, then did not relinquish the lead again as they cruised to victory 3-0 (30-24, 30-22, 30-28). Rawley dished 36 assists, while Barlow had a huge hitting game (20 kills, .516 percentage). Sophomore Leah White came off the bench to help settle the team in their winning effort.
"Overall, I would have to say I am pleased with the rapid improvement we made throughout the four games," Coach Leo Sayles said. "We steadily improved in every category, and finally reached the specific game goals we know we must reach to put ourselves in a position to win matches.
"We would have done better if we could have had a scrimmage during preseason, but injuries hindered us. We have 4 players nursing injuries, including our two setters, and have had to revamp our lineup several times in preparation for the season. However, if we can stay consistent and play like we did our final match, we will have a very strong season."
Abby Humphrey was named to the All-Tournament team, finishing with 39 kills, 35 digs, and 4 aces. Kim Barlow finished with 59 kills, a strong .447 hitting percentage, and 19 blocks. Kathryn Rawley finished with 128 assists while going perfect from the serving line. Christine Pratt finished with 49 digs and only 1 service error in 4 matches.
Bryan next travels to Clearwater Christian College Sept. 2-3 for a tournament, then opens conference play at rival Covenant College on Tuesday, Sept. 6.