Robbinsville volleyball sits atop 1A rankings
Robbinsville – It took the MaxPreps algorithm five weeks to calculate what Lady Knights volleyball already knew: Robbinsville is the team to beat in 1A.
Recently-released state rankings on the popular high school sports hub has the Lady Knights (12-1) sitting atop the 1A rankings, quite the feat for a team that has struggled for recognition in a highly-competitive Smoky Mountain Conference during the last few years.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our team this year and the hard work that they have put in,” said Robbinsville head coach Kadey Phillips. “We set a goal at the beginning of this season to win a conference championship. That goal has now taken us to a No. 1 ranking in the state. We still have a lot of season ahead of us and a lot of work that still needs to be done if we intend to keep our spot.
“Going into the second half of the season, we as coaches are going in with fresh eyes and looking for new ways to build our team and help us get even better as our season continues.”
A planned road match at Nantahala on Sept. 19 was postponed until 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, leaving the Lady Knights a chance to get in some extra practice.
Monday took Robbinsville to Franklin (10-4), where the Lady Knights incurred their first loss of the year against a much-improved Lady Panthers squad: 18-25, 17-25, 25-21, 19-25.
Robbinsville bounced back quickly from the loss Tuesday, hosting Andrews (2-9) and sweeping the Lady Wildcats 25-15, 25-10, 25-10.
Individual stats from the matches were not received by Wednesday’s press deadline.
Junior varsity
Robbinsville’s junior varsity Lady Knights (3-8) fell in straight sets at Franklin: 18-25, 17-25, in its only match of the week.
Middle school
The Lady Knights (4-5) have compiled a winning streak, getting their first wins of the season last week by taking down Swain County on Sept. 17, Martins Creek on Sept. 19 and Andrews on Tuesday.
Robbinsville toppled the Lady Devils 25-12, 25-7, before defeating the Lady Hornets 25-13, 25-9.
Tuesday’s match against Andrews resulted in a 25-17, 25-16 triumph, ensuring a run of six set victories in a row.