Wayne Christian finds rhythm in 3rd set against Goldsboro

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on September 22, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Down by three points midway through the third set, Wayne Christian's Hannah Sladick recorded a solo block against Goldsboro middle hitter Becka Pittard.

The point lifted Sladick's spirits.

And it sparked an Eagles' offense that hadn't efficiently executed in its offensive system through 21/2 sets Monday evening.

"In the third set, I thought we finally started to hit our rhythm a little bit, then started to play a little better," Wayne Christian head coach Rick Moore said. "In the fourth set, we got on a roll. We stopped doing the silly things ... silly mistakes, which is what kills you.

"We started making them play the ball."

And Goldsboro had its chances to earn a regular-season split against its county foe. But service errors in the third and fourth set proved crucial and helped Wayne Christian depart from Norvell T. Lee Gym with a 25-13, 18-25, 25-23, 25-19 victory.

"Every match, we're close, even when we lose 3-0 (in sets)," said GHS head coach TJ Lancaster, whose team committed a season-high 20 service errors.

"I don't know if we get tight or if we're waiting for the gift ball over (the net) that we can put down or (wait for) them to make a mistake.

We talk about you have to finish and want it, and put it away. That's one thing we're not doing right now and we have to figure it out."

A non-offensive factor in the first two sets, Sladick flirted with a double-double -- 10 kills, eight service aces -- in the four-set affair. The junior middle hitter pounded out three kills during a five-point stretch as Wayne Christian seized control in the final set.

Sladick's final kill pushed the Eagles in front 14-8.

Wayne Christian (11-10 overall) eventually lost the advantage, but closed out the set on a Cougars' service error and Ashey Harrelson's ace.

"When you get a good pass and a good set, you can get a better hit. We really hustled on the back row," Wayne Christian setter Kasey Norris said. "(Hannah) was getting it more to the left (on the net), where she is not used to getting it."

Norris dished out 20 assists in the absence of teammate Emily Wells, who was making an official recruiting trip to Montreat. The Eagles had 23 assists on 27 kills as a team.

Becka Pittard cranked out a season- and career-high 23 kills for the Cougars. Setter Matti Rose Lyon distributed a season- and career-high 28 assists among six different hitters.

GHS had 38 kills as a team.

Wayne Christian built a 20-12 lead late in the fourth set. Goldsboro (2-11) climbed to within 20-16 on two aces and a kill by Pittard. Teammate Jaiquiera Braswell connected on an off-speed roll off a Lyon assist.

The Eagles reeled off five of the final eight points and secured the outcome on the Cougars' last service error of the match.