Volleyball squad greeted unceremoniously in return to conference play
Robbinsville – The reintroduction to conference play did not go according to plan for the Robbinsville Lady Knights.
An 8-match win streak was snapped in a 4-set loss at Swain County on Sept. 21; while the other program making a strong case of contention for the divisional crown – Cherokee – visited Graham County for a much-anticipated match Tuesday. The Lady Braves ultimately swept Robbinsville: 25-13, 26-24, 25-15.
Outside of the middle session, Cherokee (13-3, 5-0) looked as fluid as any team the Lady Knights have faced this season. No matter how much effort Robbinsville (11-4, 3-2) put into a play, it seemed the Braves were right there with an equal – or better – reply.
Freshmen Joscelyn Stamper and Arden Arkansas were nearly impossible to thwart up front – or in Stamper’s case, anywhere on the floor – but so were Alexis Davis, Loshi Ward and Coco Wells. Libero Dvdaya Swimmer made some spectacular plays on the back row to keep volleys alive for the visitors, while Creedon Arch kept the Knights’ reception core busy with tough serves.
Robbinsville came to life after the first-set defeat, entering the court with purpose for the second stanza and going toe-for-toe with the Braves. Down the stretch, junior middle hitter Claire Barlow made some excellent defensive reads that netted points for the Lady Knights; while senior outside hitter Delaney Brooms entered a zone and fired several lasers that Cherokee was only able to simply watch go by in a blur. Robbinsville advanced to a 21-23 advantage as a result, but could not seal the deal.
The Knights and the Braves will not see each other again until the regular-season finale Oct. 12 at Cherokee.
Stunner in Swain
Bryson City – Entering Sept. 21’s road match, there were two overarching themes: the Lady Knights had not played against the conference in 2 1/2 weeks, while Swain County was winless against Robbinsville in volleyball action since Sept. 27, 2016.
At the conclusion of the evening, the Lady Devils had shook the 7-year drought against the Knights, while Robbinsville was left wondering where it all went wrong in a 23-25, 20-25, 25-22, 21-25 loss.
The match dwindled down to one lingering issue for the Knights: communication. A raucous crowd inside the Swain County (12-4, 1-3) gymnasium certainly played a factor, but Robbinsville found itself quiet on the court during crucial volleys – which killed any chance of sustaining a rhythm on plays.
The opening segment defeat was the first set loss by Robbinsville since Aug. 29 at Murphy. The Devils started the second portion on a 1-7 sprint; the Lady Knights were unable to snag a lead throughout the stanza.
It took until a 7-6 advantage emerged in the lone victory of the match for Robbinsville for a lead to be controlled by the visitors.
But set four was another rough outing on the floor, with little chatter between the team causing easy points to drop in Swain’s favor. At the final whistle, the Knights were unable to rally from an 0-2 deficit for the second time this season.
JV, middle school
Robbinsville’s next generation of varsity superstars continued to ply their craft, as well.
In JV matches this week, Robbinsville (2-10) fell in straight sets to Swain County, 22-25, 17-25; and Cherokee, 25-9, 25-14.
Openers to each afternoon of play saw the middle school split the slate. Robbinsville (6-2) toppled the Lady Devils 25-6, 25-12 on Sept. 21; before falling to Cherokee 23-25, 25-17, 15-12 on Tuesday.