Lady Knights sweep Hayesville, Hiwassee Dam
Robbinsville – Any sign of on-court rust or a lack of cohesiveness in the season debut against Rosman was quickly eliminated.
Following a 4-set loss to the Lady Tigers in the Smoky Mountain Conference opener Nov. 16, Robbinsville rebounded nicely by sweeping division foe Hayesville (19-25, 13-25, 20-25) on Nov. 19 and Little Smoky Mountain Conference contender Hiwassee Dam (10-25, 17-25, 12-25) on Monday.
Both matches were won in straight sets.
“We played very well both games,” said Lady Knights head coach Kadey Phillips. “Our defense has been great.”
The Knights (2-1, 1-1) and Jackets (1-1, 1-1) traded leads through much of the first set, but a 5-0 run by Robbinsville put the stanza out-of-reach for Hayesville.
Offensive and defensive errors proved costly for the Lady Jackets in set two, with the Lady Knights taking full advantage by going on a 9-0 run. Bolstered by strong kills from Yeika Jimenez, pinpoint setting by Ally Ayers, keen back-row defense from Kensley Phillips and libero Gabby Hooper, and an impressive showing off the bench by Kelsey Waldroup, Robbinsville cruised to a 2-0 advantage.
The Jackets built a 10-8 lead in set three, but the Knights would not be denied, rushing right back to seize a 14-10 advantage. Delaney Brooms’ slam on match-point would later punctuate the first conference victory for the defending co-conference champions.
JV
Robbinsville (0-2) started its junior varsity season with a 25-14, 25-19 loss against Hayesville.
The Lady Knights fell behind 22-13 after a see-saw portion of set one eventually tipped in the Jackets’ favor and compounded by mental errors, Robbinsville was unable to regain any momentum for the duration of the contest.
Against the Lady Eagles, Robbinsville fell 27-25, 25-15.
Middle school
The Lady Knights’ (1-2) dropped a heartbreaker to the Lady Jackets: 30-28, 25-19.
The wild first set featured some strong hitting up front by Claire Barlow and Liz Carpenter, with Robbinsville eventually thundering back from a 23-20 deficit to force extra points. The Knights’ would reach set-point several times thereafter, but was unable to close out the victory. But Robbinsville would rebound and pick up its first win of the year against Hiwassee Dam/Ranger: 13-25, 12-25.