VOLLEYBALL: Warriors claim 3-0 victory over Cougars

By Ben Coley
Published in Sports on September 15, 2016 10:07 AM

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bcoley@newsargus.com

Eastern Wayne head coach Anna Hajjar has a simple message for her volleyball team - when you win, you better win well.

And if you lose, you better lose well.

Against county rival Goldsboro on Wednesday night, her team performed well. And to Hajjar's satisfaction, that execution was coupled with a 25-22, 25-16, 25-15 sweep over the Cougars at Norvell T. Lee Gym.

After Tuesday's straight-set loss to 4-A powerhouse J.H. Rose, Hajjar wasn't upset that her team fell. It was how they were defeated. The Warriors didn't score more than 13 points in a set, including just six in the middle set.

No one's position on the court was safe.

"It didn't matter if it was a captain, didn't matter if it was our setter, didn't matter if it was our libero," Hajjar said. "If they didn't talk, they were coming out. And I guess they got that because they didn't like that last game."

The Warriors did receive the message, and it showed early in the match. Down 19-16 in the first set, EW battled back and took a 20-19 lead after a kill by junior Emily Newsome.

The Cougars tied the set at 20-20, but a host of errors helped the Warriors close out a three-point win. Goldsboro's Becka Pittard had five kills, while Newsome had three.

In the second set, the score once again stood at 19-16. But this time, the Warriors were up by three. And instead of letting Goldsboro creep back into the game, EW reeled off six straight points to take a 2-0 advantage in the match.

The Warriors' Amari Brigman had a kill and two service aces in the second set and Alyssa Jackson notched two kills. Pittard had four kills and two aces.

"Those first two sets -- that was some good volleyball," said Goldsboro head coach TJ Lancaster. "That's probably some of the best volleyball we've played all season. And I was proud of them. But sometimes you play a good team. (EW's) a great program. They've got good coaches and good players."

Lancaster said that the Cougars' passing began to erode in the final set. EW quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead and never looked back. It was the only set in which the Cougars never led or tied.

EW won its first six games, but has gone 2-3 since then. It's a stretch that Hajjar would describe as nothing short of a stressful roller coaster.

She constantly preaches to the players that the coaches cannot hold their hands, and that they need to learn how to resolve issues among themselves. The team has potential and Hajjar wants to see it every time the group steps on to the court.

"I hope they're maturing," Hajjar said. "I can't really say where the progress is right now, because that takes a couple games in my opinion. We play D.H. Conley next. And whether we lose or we win, we better do it good."