WCDS shows heart in comeback vs. Goldsboro

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on September 4, 2013 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Wayne Country Day switched into "fight-back" mode when it needed it the most Tuesday afternoon.

Goldsboro just grinded its gears.

Juniors Celeste Davis and Sarah Crooks cranked out six kills apiece during the Chargers' 25-15, 25-16, 25-17 triumph over the Cougars. WCDS (3-2 overall) claimed its third consecutive three-set victory of the season.

"I was pleased with the girls' heart, the way they fought back," first-year Chargers head coach Steve Mau said. "If we can go into every match knowing that they have that fight in them to come back after being down, then I think we're going to do really well this season."

The Chargers trailed 13-11 in the second set and responded with a 14-2 run capped by Davis' service ace to the deep left corner. They fell behind 17-13 in set three, and reeled off 12 straight points that included a pair of aces from Crooks.

Davis collected five aces for Wayne Country Day, which served 16 aces on the day.

"Defense, defense, defense? Hustle, hustle, hustle ... move your feet," Goldsboro head coach TJ Lancaster said. "Ever since we took that set off of Aycock, we have played downhill. Right now we are not moving our feet defensively, we are slow. We are our own worst enemy.

"The girls have the talent and know how to play the game, they've shown that. It's our mental game we're going to have to fix."

Goldsboro (2-4) fell behind 9-1 in the opening set and rallied to within 18-13 on Alexus Davis' solo block against the Chargers' Davis. A service error gave the ball back to WCDS, which seized control and grabbed a one-set advantage.

Offensive miscues and some confusion on defense became the normal routine for each team during the 1-hour affair. Transition balls limited each team's ability to set up its respective offense for attacks as players scrambled all over the floor to keep loose balls in play.

WCDS managed to grab a 20-11 edge in kills and hit .196 for the match. Goldsboro logged 16 hitting errors.

"You would think that a free ball coming over the net is one of the easiest to play, but it's really not," Mau said. "It's one of the hardest balls to set up and run a play off of just because there is so much pressure. You're watching it and can see it (the play) before it happens, but the ball is out of system."

Rachel Uzzell provided a double-double -- 11 assists, 10 digs -- for the Chargers, who travel to St. Mary's in Raleigh on Thursday. Bailee Creger collected 10 digs.

Davis, a junior middle hitter, provided two kills and a match-high four blocks for the Cougars, who dropped their fourth consecutive outing. Senior setter Bailee Ellis distributed 10 assists among six hitters.