Lions emerge 2-1 after tough weekend matches
The Lady Lions volleyball team went into the weekend with big goals. The Lions came into the weekend ranked 3rd in the AAC, and emerged from the weekend the same. However, in between, Bryan’s Summers’ Gymnasium saw some wonderful volleyball played. The Lady Lions knew going into the weekend that a 3-0 sweep would place them on top in the conference. They fell a little short, going 2-1.
Bryan escaped a tough match Friday night vs. Milligan College, surviving with a thrilling 3-2 (30-23, 30-21, 34-36, 25-30, 15-12) victory. The Lions had control early, winning games 1 and 2 with ease. Milligan took early control of game three and held the Lions off until a late charge took the game into extra points. Both sides had their chances to put the game away, but Milligan came out on top. Milligan grabbed control and kept momentum in game 4, headed into game 5 with renewed confidence. The Lions struck first, and took an 8-5 lead at the turn, but Milligan was not to be outdone. Tough serving and great play in the middle helped them build a 12-9 lead, before the Lions responded with solid serving and several big hits in the middle from the Lions’ Amber Smith. The Lions prevailed, saving their win streak and advancing it to 7 in a row.
Amber Smith was again the star for the Lions. Smith tied her career high in kills with 21, hitting .514 pct, and 4.5 blocks. Kaylin Carswell lifted the Lions with 7 well-placed kills. Solid passing behind libero Kathryn Rawley kept the Lions in the match. Rawley finished with a team-high 33 digs and 3 aces. The setting tandem of Jennifer Loveday and Hannah Suits finished with a combined 47 assists. Abby Humphrey added another double-double with 13 kills and 21 digs.
“We expected Milligan to play us tough. The first two game may have lulled us just enough to open the door for them. The Lady Buffs played very well after those first two games, and it took us a while to settle down and return to our game. For a while, I think our confidence was rattled, but I am proud the Lions bounced back and found themselves again in game 5,” commented Bryan’s Coach Leo Sayles.
The Lady Lions nearly pulled off a major upset bid of NAIA #24 and conference leader King College. Despite the loss, Bryan (6-2, 11-7) equaled their entire win total in conference and overall last year, with a win over Virginia Intermont College.
Bryan lost to King 3-1 (14-30, 30-25, 17-30, 29-31) in a see-saw match. Bryan started out cold, and struggled to get to 14 points in the first game. They came out on fire in the second game behind the strong serving of Abby Humphrey, and never trailed. In the third game, though, reception struggles kept the Lions from being able to capitalize on King errors. The Lions looked in control of game 4, only to see the Tornado of King battle back and take a short lead at 29-27. The Lions never gave up, forcing extra points before falling to the Tornado.
Bryan’s top performers were: Abby Humphrey (11 kills, 20 digs), Amber Smith (13 kills, 3.5 blocks), and Kathryn Rawley (32 digs, perfect from serving line, 42/43 in service receptions).
Bryan beat VIC in 5 tough games, (35-33, 24-30, 30-28, 22-30, 15-11) despite Cobra Lindsey Brown’s record-breaking 59 digs in the match. For Bryan, freshman Brittany Carter played for the first time since a preseason injury sidelined her. Carter wasted no time in the starting OH position, tallying 17 kills and 13 digs to pace the Lions. Abby Humphrey was just as strong up front with 16 kills and another strong day in the back row (33 digs, 3 aces). Robin Renfroe tallied 10 kills and 3 blocks for the Lions. Libero Kathryn Rawley was again flawless, going 19/19 with her serve, 47/48 in serve receptions, and tallying 27 digs.
“This weekend felt like a post-season tournament. Every game had meaning, and no team wanted to fold,” commented Bryan’s Coach Leo Sayles. “Of the 14 games we played in our three matches, 5 went into extra points or were decided by 3 or fewer points. Today, different players had to step up. Amber Smith has had a tremendous run the past 8 games, but struggled a little today. Abby Humphrey stepped up and gave us two solid all-around matches. Robin Renfroe was a big lift in the VIC match…but the overall winner for best performance has to be Brittany. She had only one practice to prepare for this weekend after her rehab – she came right into the game against King and gave us much needed support. She started against VIC and played like she had been playing all along! We have missed her presence on the court.”
The Lions remain in 3rd in the AAC, two games behind NAIA #24 King, and a game behind VIC. They will host Johnson Bible College for a non-conference match Monday night at 7, then travel to Tennessee Temple for a match next Thursday.
Humphrey and Rawley will both be recognized for their 30+ dig matches over the wekend. Humphrey tied her team record 33 digs against VIC. Rawley equalled that tally against Milligan, then almost tied it again with 32 against King. Both names will be added to the AVCA-NAIA 30-Dig Club webpage this week, and they will be included in the AVCA-NAIA weekly press release.