CONWAY — The Bryant Lady Hornets freshman team won the Silver Division of the Conway Invitational volleyball tournament on Saturday earning a team plaque and individual medals.
After splitting their four games in pool play, they advanced to the Silver Division single-elimination tournament as a third seed while the top two seeds from each pool played in the Gold Division tournament. Bryant defeated Arkadelphia and Central Arkansas Christian to reach the championship match which they won over the Conway Courtway eighth grade team.
The Lady Hornets include Jenna Acheson, Aubree Allen, Ashlea Brazil, Ashlee Caton, Stormi Chaloner, Kaley Coppock, Hannah Crouch, Dezarea Duckworth, Kaitlyn Greer, Nicole Guyett, Kayla Jolley, Jacie McMahan, Mekaylah Muhammad, Breanna Sanders, Courtnie Schultz, Becka Shaddon, Erica Smith and Katy Stillman.[more]
“I am real proud of how the girls fought through difficult conditions such as the excessive heart, the wear and tear on the body, physically and mentally, with so many games in one day,” said head coach Monica Parish who noted that all of her team’s game were played in the old Conway gym with no air conditioning. “It really helped that different girls stepped up throughout the tournament to help us win.
“After last Monday’s loss to Conway, we have been working hard,” she continued. “We have added a new defense and new serve-receive. The girls have worked hard. They are like sponges that just can’t get enough. They are learning on every drill, every practice, every game, and every day.”
In pool play, the teams played to 25 in a single game. Bryant defeated Mayflower and one of the Conway eighth grade teams but lost to Greenbrier and Vilonia. Standard play resumed for the tournament and the Lady Hornets earned a bye.
“We watched CAC defeat Little Rock Episcopal,” Parish recounted. “We played Arkadelphia right after the CAC match on the same court.”
With the win, the Lady Hornets had to come back immediately to take on the Lady Mustangs who had been able to rest during the Bryant-Arkadelphia match.
“It’s a match that was a turning point for us,” Parish related. “When we immediately got ahead and maintained our lead for both games to win the match, I could see the girls’ confidence-level rise. They started believing that, yes, they are a good team. We rode the wave of confidence throughout the rest of the tourney.
“The girls started the last game with the ‘I believe’ chant,” the coach mentioned. “Afterward, they chanted, ‘We believe that we have won!’ Yes, we do. And, once we believed it, it came true.”
Individually, Parish said, “Hannah (Crouch) had a ‘coming out party’ Saturday. She started performing in a match like she has been performing during practice every day. She got on service rolls in the pool play games.
“Kaley Coppock and Kayla Jolley had several kills during the day,” she added. “Becka Shaddon, Ashlee Caton and Katie Stillman all had service rolls during different matches to carry us over the top. During bracket play, Aubree Allen got on a spiking roll. Erica Smith and Nicole Guyett took turns controlling the net at the middle with hits and blocks. Dezarea Duckworth and Kaitlyn Green, Katie, Becka and Ashlee Caton all had key digs to turn momentum our way.”
The Lady Hornets were set to return to action tonight at home against Cabot North.
