Rosewood turns back S. Wayne

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on September 1, 2010 1:47 PM

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With the start of Carolina 1-A Conference play less than three weeks away, Rosewood has the look of a team primed and ready to go.

The Eagles served and passed with efficiency throughout a 25-13, 25-14, 25-15 sweep of visiting Southern Wayne on Tuesday afternoon.

Three aces from Rachael Kornegay, and back-to-back kills from Ellen Morgan and Laura Vinson helped Rosewood grab a 9-6 lead in the opening set.

Kornegay's kill and service aces from Alyssa Spell and Megann Tyndall helped the Eagles (6-1 overall) claim set one. Kornegay tallied three aces and two kills in the first set, and finished with five aces and three kills.

"I think our serving was better tonight than it was Monday night," said Rosewood head coach Jennifer Cochran. "We aced a lot better today than we have been. I thought Kerri Jo Gurley and Rachael Kornegay did a great job serving."

The Saints struggled with passing and unforced errors throughout the match. Southern Wayne committed 13 errors in the first set alone.

"Today was difficult," said Saints head coach Eric Durol. "On Monday we were hot, but today, not so much. We'll get it together. That's why I wanted to play Rosewood because we're playing quality teams."

Six aces from Kerri Jo Gurley fueled the Eagles' 11-0 run in set two. Gurley recorded three consecutive aces twice during that stretch. Kills from Vinson and Megann Tyndal gave Rosewood a 19-5 advantage. Gurley finished with 11 aces.

Southern Wayne (1-2) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in set three, but watched as it quickly disappeared. Tyndal and Gurley recorded back-to-back aces. Ellen Morgan added a pair of kills as the Eagles went in front 11-6.

Kornegay tacked on another ace down the stretch and Vinson's kill brought the match to a close.

"I was really pleased with our passing," said Cochran. "That's been something at Rosewood that we haven't been good at. I think we're showing we know how to put the ball away on the front row."