The Parry McCluer High School volleyball team suffered a 3-0 home loss to James River on Thursday night in Buena Vista.
James River improved to 2-0 with a 25-7, 25-17, 25-10 victory. The Fighting Blues, who were coming off a 3-0 home loss to local rival Rockbridge County in the season opener on Tuesday of last week, fell to 0-2.
Guiding the Knights’ attack was outside hitter Ashby Wilkes, who led all players with 11 kills.
Jorja Catlett led PM with four kills and three blocks, Kimber Hickman had three kills, and Presley Camden collected six digs.
With strong setting and net play, JR raced to a 17-2 lead in the first set and stayed comfortably ahead for the rest of the frame.
In the second set, a pair of kills from Catlett helped the Blues stay close early on. It was tied 4-4, but the Knights won the next three points. With strong serving by Camden, the Blues battled back to tie it at 1212, but Wilkes made three kills to help JR go on a 7-0 run, and the Knights pulled away to take the set.
JR carried the momentum into the third set, racing to a 7-1 lead. PM trimmed the lead to 10-7, but JR answered by outscoring the Blues 15-3 to seal the win.
Reviewing her team’s performance and progress, first-year PM head coach Elle Kindred said, “We’re getting there. We still need to figure out a few things. It’s early in the season, but I think there’s a lot of things we can work on together as a team.”
Showing improvement in serving, PM committed just six service errors on Thursday after making 13 service errors in the opener against RC.
Kindred said the Knights were tough because “we’re not used to hard power. The middle and the outside hitter hit shots we’re not used to.”
Defensively, the PM coach said the Knights “were scrappy. They moved, and we just couldn’t find the open court.”
Kindred praised Catlett, a setter and outside hitter, and middle blocker Maddie Wade for stepping up to challenge the Knights. She said both players “did well anticipating the blocks and slowing down the defense.”
The Blues were scheduled to take their first road trip of the season on Monday at Amherst County before playing host to Nelson County last night. They’ll play at James River on Thursday before playing host to Amherst County on Tuesday, starting with junior varsity action at 5:30 p.m. on both nights.
