Freshman girls notch conference road win
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Photos courtesy of J’Ann Lessenberry
CONWAY — The Bryant Lady Hornets freshman volleyball team captured its first Central Arkansas Junior High Conference victory on the road Tuesday night, defeating Conway Blue 25-8, 25-18.
Shaelyn Smith serves during Tuesday’s match. (Photo by J’Ann Lessenberry)
The win came on the heels of a confidence-boosting showing in a tournament in Benton in which they finished runner-up to the host team, losing in the final 25-17, 25-19.
“The girls played well,” stated Lady Hornets coach Julie Long. “We are starting to play smarter and still working to be more consistent. The girls are starting to become more of a team. Hopefully we can continue it into Thursday’s match against Lake Hamilton.”
That’s the team’s next outing again on the road.
At Benton, the Lady Hornets went 1-1-1 in pool play, defeating Arkadelphia, 25-16, 25-12 before splitting with Hot Springs Lakeside, 20-25, 25-17. In a preliminary match with Benton, Bryant lost 16-25, 26-28 to become the third seed in the championship bracket.
Against Lakeside again, the Lady Hornets prevailed 25-20, 18-25, 15-13 to advance to the title match.
“They played a lot better and worked hard,” Long said, comparing the effort to the 0-2 loss to open the season against Cabot South on Thursday, Aug. 26. “It gave us a lot to build on. The girls are getting better every game.”
Lauren Lessenberry serves. (Photo by J’Ann Lessenberry)
