The Bryant Blue Lady Hornets eighth grade volleyball team of Bethel Middle School wrapped up their season at home with a 25-22, 25-16 win over the rival Bryant White Lady Hornets of Bryant Middle School on Monday, Oct. 11.
Bryant Blue also won the seventh grade game, 25-17, 25-15.
The Bryant Blue Lady Hornets eighth grade volleyball team includes Anna Blair, Julie Brazil, Nikki Clay, Brianna Davis, Haley Dellis, Mercedes Dillard, Katelyn Giffin, Sydney Gogus, Emily Henson, Devin Hester, Jamie Jamison, Madison Jones, Camille Langley, Mackenzie McEntire, Rachel Phillips, Rylee Phillips and Allysa Sturgeon.
The Bryant White Lady Hornets eighth grade volleyball team includes Mariah Aguilar, Jayla Anderson, Haley Collins, Claire Henderson, Madison Krick, Taylor Lindberg, Brittany McDonald, Makayla Nguyen, Alexis Parsley, Jessica Reese, Charli Sahr, Sarah Shepard, Abby Staton, and Jordan Tarvin.[more]
“It was good to finish with a win,” said Bryant Blue coach Melissa Bragg. “Our serving really helped us. We only missed two the whole match.”
Bragg said that Clay was her team’s top server in the first game with six and in the second game with seven.
“Mercedes Dillard was on a roll during the second game serving points 17 through 25,” Bragg mentioned. “Everyone contributed and everyone was able to play.”
Likewise, Bryant White coach DeAnna Ward praised her team’s serving. “They were great,” she said. “Eighty-two percent of our serves were in. We just didn’t have enough of them.”
In the first set, Staton served points 8 through 12. Lindberg contributed three kills and Anderson had two assists. In the second game, Ward said, Sahr served points 8 through 16 and contributed a pair of kills. Lindberg had two more kills and Staton two assists.
Bryant White was set to close out its season on Thursday, Oct. 14, at Conway.
In the seventh grade game, Bragg said her team got off to a good start.
“We won the serve and Skylar Harper started us off with an ace right off the bat,” she said.
Britney Sahlman contributed eight consecutive serves from points 10 through 17, she added. “She was our top server in the first game,” Bragg acknowledged. Sahlman also had a block.
For Bryant White, Lara White served points 3 through 12 in the first set.“We had a hard time stopping her serve,” Bragg mentioned.
In the second game, Claire Gilbow and Allie Mack Atkinson were the top servers for Bryant Blue.
“We are really improving,” Ward said of her White team. “We had several good rallies, lots of bump, set, spike. I am really excited about what those ladies will develop into next year.”
“I was glad to see some of the things we’ve been working on in practice carry over into the game,” Bragg said of her Blue seventh graders. “I’m really looking forward to next year.”
