Eastern Wayne starts strong, can't keep momentum against Hawks

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on September 10, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Jackie Lewis stared at the scoreboard.

Guest 0, Home 8.

The Eastern Wayne head volleyball coach sat speechless.

"When we opened up this match on those girls were on fire, the intensity in this gym was on fire," Lewis said. "We (the coaches) were really in awe about how great they were playing."

The Warriors eventually built an 11-point advantage.

"We weren't communicating on the court very well, we were keeping to ourselves, weren't really watching where their hitters were angling their balls so we had to get that together and work as a team," NL setter Allyson Heath said.

The Hawks did.

North Lenoir (10-0 overall) stormed back to claim the opening set, 26-24. The perennial 2-A powerhouse dominated the next two sets 25-11 and 25-9 to complete their ninth three-set sweep of the season Wednesday afternoon.

"I have no idea where they went from losing 26-24 to starting the second set dead on their feet," Lewis said. "Mental toughness, they have none ... is all I can chalk it up to. They completely deflated themselves after the first set and they didn't have the mental capability and toughness to get back out there and bring it right back.

"We've got a lot of work to do."

Lewis particularly noted her team's defense.

Once North Lenoir developed a rhythm in its offensive system, it began to convert on short balls inside the 3-meter line. Lewis told her team to pinch the area, which forced the Hawks to changed their tactics.

They stretched the court instead.

Junior outside Paige Sports and senior middle Laura Haerer delivered kills either down the line, toward the back line or in the corners. The change caught the Warriors flat-footed on occasion and frustrated Lewis.

Sports and Haerer combined for 26 kills.

"We put in a new defense where we're not playing lanes, but more of a zone-type defense and it's still killing us," Lewis said.

The Hawks tied the opening set at 15-15 on an unforced error by the Warriors -- one of 34 on the night. The teams battled through five ties and three lead changes before miscommunication on a second hit and Parks' kill off a block capped North Lenoir's comeback.

Eastern Wayne (3-5) scored the first three points of the second set behind the net play of 6-foot-8 Naheria Hamilton. The senior recorded a solo block and converted an off-speed shot during the spurt. Hamilton ended the 64-minute affair with six kills and four blocks.

Haerer sparked an 8-1 run with three solo blocks during a four-point stretch. The Hawks built a double-digit lead and closed out the set on Sports' kill off an EW block attempt.

The third set played out much like the second set. The Warriors managed just four kills - two by Hamilton, one by sophomore Brianna Autman and one by setter Emily Newsome. Newsome dished out 11 assists on the day.

"These girls are good," Lewis said of her squad. "I don't think they realize the talent that we've got on this court. I don't know if they feel like hey 'we're supposed to lose.' I just don't know."