Blues Drop Nondistrict Match To Riverheads
The Parry McCluer High School volleyball team turned a dominant start into a comfortable 3-0 Pioneer District victory over Highland County in Buena Vista on Thursday.
The Fighting Blues served up 12 aces in the opening set of a 25-5, 25-14, 25-22 win over the Rams. Following up on a 3-1 nondistrict setback to Riverheads on Monday of last week, PM wrapped up the week at 3-11 overall and 2-3 in the Pioneer.
Josie Martinez paced the Blues against Highland with 11 aces and six kills, dishing out seven aces in the opener alone. Jorja Catlett had nine assists, six digs and four aces for PM, while Presley Camden led the back row with 10 digs.
Anna Meehan posted four service aces for the Rams (4-6 overall, 0-5 district), and Brooklyn Bussard added three aces.
With a small crowd on hand in a relatively quiet building, PM head coach Elle Kindred challenged her team to provide the energy right from the opening whistle. The Blues responded with a 20-point blowout in the opening stanza.
“I think the first set, we really came out strong,” Kindred said. “They did bring it [the energy], and they communicated well and played well together. We served really well; we did all the right things.”
Martinez led the way with an 11point service run, which included all seven of her aces – and which turned a 9-3 advantage into a 20-3 cushion. Camden and Porterfield also served up two aces apiece in the first frame, and Ciara Hamilton notched a pair of kills.
The Rams tried to work their way back into the game early in the second set, battling to a 10-10 tie with a stretch that featured two of Meehan’s aces. But the Blues responded with five straight points, and they would finish the stanza off with a later 8-3 spurt.
The third set was easily the most competitive of the night. PM changed its system and some of its personnel, using the opportunity to try out some new combinations on the court – including reps for Sophia Bouchelle at the setter spot.
“At the beginning of the season, we struggled with learning a new rotation, and so they were able to quickly put it into play,” Kindred said of the third set. “You’re in a different spot; you’re playing next to [different] people. How can you adapt?”
Even though Highland took things to the wire in the final set, the Blues’ only deficit of the night came at 1-0 on the opening point. With the frame tied at 16-16, PM reeled off a 7-1 spurt and then held off the Rams to complete the three-set win.
Camden and Sophie Porterfield tallied three aces apiece for the Blues, and Martinez chipped in four digs. Ali Veasey added a pair of aces for Highland, and Eleanor White had two kills.
Riverheads 3, PM 1
Riverheads defeated visiting PM 3-1 on Monday of last week.
The Gladiators claimed a 25-17, 2125, 26-24, 25-11 non-district win over the Blues. Riverheads, a Shenandoah District rival of Rockbridge County, currently sits at 6-6 overall and 3-5 in Shenandoah matches this season.
Martinez had 11 kills to lead the Blues in last Monday’s game, and Bouchelle delivered three aces. The Gladiators also kept the PM defense busy, as Camden racked up 39 digs in the contest and Catlett added 26. Catlett also finished the night with 13 assists.
PM and Riverheads were scheduled to play again in Buena Vista on Monday. The Blues were slated to travel last night to face Pioneer foe Narrows, and they will play host to Eastern Montgomery on Thursday, starting with junior varsity action at 5:30 p.m.
ABOVE, Getting ready to collect one of her six digs in PM sophomore Jorja Catlett while teammates Jordyn Hostetter (11) and Presley Camden (10) watch during the Blues’ 3-0 win over Highland County. Catlett led the Blues with nine assists had four aces. AT NEAR RIGHT, Camden dives for the ball. The Blues’ libero led her team with 10 digs. AT FAR RIGHT, Fighting Blue junior Josie Martinez (8) leaps for the ball while teammate Jaelyn Manning (28) watches. Martinez paced the Blues with 11 aces and six kills. (Ronnie Coffey photos)
