Lady Knights clinch share of divisional crown
Robbinsville – Entering the 2022 season, they heard the whispers. The doubts. The naysayers.
Then the Robbinsville Lady Knights assessed the circumstances and posted a 15-win campaign, which culminated Oct. 13 with a 14-25, 14-25, 20-25 sweep of Swain County (12-11) on senior night.
More importantly, the shutout ensured Robbinsville (16-7) would finish the year with its second Smoky Mountain Conference title in four seasons – a prize the Knights will share with Murphy.
“At the beginning of the summer, we were kind of at a standstill, not really knowing how the season was going to go,” Robbinsville head coach Kadey Phillips said. “We only had two returning starters (Kensley Phillips and Delaney Brooms) from the team last year, a brand-new setter that’s never played (Desta Trammell) and pretty much a whole new line-up out there on the floor.
“We knew it would be interesting; we knew it could go one way or the other. They have exceeded my expectations, and went above and beyond. They have really came together as a team; they all love each other and share the same goals.”
“I am really proud of the girls,” added assistant coach Dede Brooms. “They have worked their butts off to get this.”
Robbinsville garnered the early momentum in the season wrap-up by turning Swain County’s 5-0 start in set one into a 13-5 Knights sprint to pull ahead. Kills from Phillips, Brooms and sophomore middle hitter Claire Barlow put the icing on the surge, before set two played out in much of the same manner: the segment was tied 5-5, before Robbinsville posted a 14-5 run in reply. Trammell served up three consecutive aces to help sway the advantage.
The Lady Devils did their best to force a fourth set, shaking off some early receiving errors – which spurned an 8-0 Robbinsville start – to fight back into the tussle. Down the stretch, though, Phillips fought off some tough returns with spot-on digs that helped set up some heavy attacks by the Lady Knights, leading to the shutout.
Robbinsville was afforded the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament via a coin-flip tiebreaker and knocked off Cherokee (16-8) in four sets during a semifinal match Tuesday: 15-25, 25-12, 23-25, 23-25.
The Knights were pitted against Murphy (20-3) – who earned the No. 1 nod – in the tournament finals after Wednesday’s press deadline. Check The Graham Star’s social media for updates on how the match played out, as well as playoff seeding. The first round of the postseason is Saturday.
JV, middle school
Robbinsville was unable to get into the win column in its final two junior-varsity contests this season. The Knights were swept 25-22, 25-14 by Swain County on Oct. 13, before falling in the conference-tournament quarterfinals Saturday to Cherokee.
Robbinsville’s junior varsity finished the season 6-14.
The Lady Knights compiled a 6-6 mark in middle-school play this year. Robbinsville’s campaign ended with a 14-25, 9-25 sweep over Swain County on Oct. 13.