Princeton sweeps Rosewood in volleyball

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on September 26, 2012 1:48 PM

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PRINCETON -- That six-game skid is a distant memory.

The Princeton High volleyball team is right where it wants to be with three weeks left in regular-season play.

Kasey Edwards led a balanced offensive attack with 10 kills and the Bulldogs seized sole possession of the Carolina 1-A Conference lead with a 25-8, 25-21, 25-18 triumph over archrival Rosewood on Tuesday afternoon. Setters Lauren Woodard and Charley Cox combined for 24 assists for the Bulldogs, who claimed their 17th straight decision over a conference opponent in regular-season and tournament play combined since 2011.

"We played excellent as a team ... covered open holes, talked to each other and didn't get down when something went out, they recovered and played well on the next point," second-year Princeton head coach Paige Renfrow said.

Rosewood never got into its offensive system. Junior Ellen Morgan had eight kills in an offense that posted a minus-.040 attack percentage in the three-set affair.

Anna Ingram contributed four kills and two blocks. Five setters combined for 14 assists and the Eagles recorded just 20 kills as a team.

"We've got a lot of work to do," Eagles' head coach Jennifer Cochran said. "I don't the think the score dictates how well the teams played in spurts because there were some long rallies. The difference ... they spread out on defense and we clustered.

"We scrambled the whole night instead of playing offense."

Edwards, Taylor Carroll and Amber Hill combined for five kills during a back-breaking, 16-3 run in the opening set. Rosewood's Crystal Allen momentarily stopped the momentum with a kill, but two attack errors allowed the Bulldogs to take the opening set.

The teams traded 14 ties and 10 changes during the final two sets.

Allen and Heather Lancaster cranked out two kills apiece as Rosewood forged a 15-15 deadlock in the second set. Edwards' kill off Woodard's assist gave Princeton the lead for good, 16-15.

Rosewood stayed within striking distance before Edwards delivered a kill and Logan Jones served an ace to seal the outcome.

Ingram slammed a short serve return to give the Eagles their final lead of the match, 13-11, midway through the third set. The Bulldogs (6-6, 5-0 CC) responded with a five-point run and never relinquished their advantage.

The Eagles pulled to within 23-18, but could get no closer.