PM Netters Notch First Win Blues Defeat Roanoke Catholic 3-1 In Home Opener
The Parry McCluer High School volleyball team secured its first victory of the young season, defeating Roanoke Catholic 3-1 in Buena Vista on Thursday.
Allie Cullen totaled 10 kills, 23 digs and four service aces as the Fighting Blues (1-1) bounced back from last Tuesday’s loss at Rockbridge County (see separate story) with a 25-18, 11-25, 25-21, 25-21 win.
Jorja Catlett notched 16 assists, six kills and two aces for PM. Kadence Zollman had 11 digs and five aces for the Blues, and Presley Camden recorded 11 digs and three aces.
Justinne Llavore had nine kills and five aces for the Celtics (1-3). Addisen Green tallied eight kills and 10 aces for RC, and Kinsley Decker amassed 16 assists.
While Thursday’s match didn’t always feature the prettiest volleyball – particularly in a one-sided second set that went the Celtics’ way – first-year head coach Jilane Hall was pleased with the grit that her team showed.
“There was a lot of resilience, and just hustle from our girls tonight,” Hall said. “They really persevered; they fought back after losing the second set… Their defense was a lot better than it was on Tuesday, so I’m really proud of them for their improvement.”
The first set featured lengthy scoring runs from both teams. The Blues saw an early 13-7 lead shrink to 13-12 before responding with six straight points – including a pair of Josie Martinez aces – to go ahead 19-13. RC narrowed the gap to 20-17, but PM closed the frame on a 5-1 run.
The stanza ended with consecutive aces from Cullen, who also posted five kills in the set. While the senior outside hitter finished with a double-double, the statistics only display a fraction of what she brings to the PM team.
“She puts in so much hard work and so much effort,” Hall said of Cullen. “She’s got such great ball control as a passer, as a defender… I like that she’s a very vocal captain, and she leads by example.”
The Celtics dominated the second set, scoring the first 10 points and never letting the Blues back in it. Green had five aces and three kills in the stanza.
PM built up an 18-11 lead in the third set before a rally from RC. After three straight kills from Llavore made it 21-20 in the Blues’ favor, PM scored four of the final five points, getting a key ace from Zollman and clinching the set on Cullen’s free-ball kill.
The fourth set unfolded in similar fashion. A balanced offensive attack – Catlett had three of her kills in the frame, supplemented by two apiece from Cullen, Martinez and Emory Slagle –allowed PM to again open up an 18-11 advantage. While the Celtics were able to cut the gap to 20-17, the Blues fended off their visitors to finish off the match.
Slagle finished with four kills for PM, while Martinez had three kills and five aces. Lauren Bradley posted three kills for RC, and Harper Sawyer had three aces.
In the end, the Blues got the right result in their home opener, handing Hall her first win as a varsity head coach.
“ It feels good t o w in a t home,” Hall said. “Undefeated at home so far, so let’s keep it going.”
PM was slated to visit Nelson County last night. The Blues will travel to Roanoke for a rematch with Roanoke Catholic on Thursday before playing host to Rockbridge County on Monday. Junior varsity action begins at 5:30 p.m. on both nights.
