Lakewood upends Spring Creek in volleyball
By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on September 20, 2013 1:48 PM
astevens@newsargus.com
SEVEN SPRINGS -- Deanna Morris may not put much stock in moral victories, but there's no denying her Spring Creek volleyball program is headed in the right direction.
The Gators pushed Lakewood throughout a 25-18, 23-25, 25-17, 25-21 Carolina 1-A Conference loss on Thursday evening.
Spring Creek consistently hustled after loose balls, communicated well and worked together as a team.
"They definitely want to win, there's no doubt," Morris said. "It's one thing to want to win, we just have to make sure we're playing as one. We are playing a lot smarter, too."
Lakewood hitters Rashyda Parker and Kiara Rich asserted themselves throughout the match. Parker and Rich made their presence felt both as blockers and hitters around the net.
Parker's kill and her block helped the Leopards pull away to claim set one.
The Gators (8-3 overall, 5-3 CC) rode the hot hand of hitter Rachel McCollum, who pounded out four kills in the second set. Spring Creek earned tough points with a workman-like philosophy..
The Leopards trailed 12-9 midway through set three before rallying. Parker hammered out four kills and recorded three blocks. Rich supplied two blocks and an ace as Lakewood grabbed hold of the momentum and didn't relinquish it.
"They outsized us for one," Morris said. "(Parker) is just unbelievable. They've just got some talent and some height that is hard to match up to."
The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair, and the Gators held a 15-14 lead before Rich and Parker took control once more. Rich delivered a pair of kills and Parker added a kill of her own.
Spring Creek tried to fight back behind kills from McCollum and Sarah Ford to cut the margin to 21-18. The Leopards used Parker's kill and Rich's block to finish off the match.
The Gators visit Neuse Charter on Tuesday.