With the construction of the new gym keeping Carrollton from playing home games last season and just five home dates in 2012, playing at home kind of comes with an unknown factor. But on Senior Night, the last home games of the regular season and last home games for Kat Burger, Kate Marshall, Sydney Needham and Simone Richardson, the Lady Trojans came out and got the big win.
"Our girls played really well [Tuesday]. We're not used to having home games, so we're never really sure what they're going to be like when we get to the gym. They really communicated well, played together and couldn't be happier," Carrollton coach Kasey Austin said.
The Lady Trojans (19-6) started slow in the first set, but once they got going, they couldn't be stopped. After going down 4-1 early in the set, Carrollton tied things up at 8-8 before going on an 8-2 run to build some separation against the Lady Cavaliers (4-11) en route to the 25-14 victory.
In the first set it was middle hitter Richardson leading the way, as she collected four kills to go along with three kills and an ace from fellow senior and outside hitter Marshall.
The second set was all Lady Trojans, as they capitalized on early Callaway errors and kept the pressure on the Lady Cavaliers through the rest of the set.
After taking the 6-2 lead without needing a winner, Marshall added a kill and from there the Lady Trojans went on a 18-7 run to close out the set and the match easily, 25-9.
On Senior Night, it was the seniors leading the way, as Burger and Marshall had five kills and an ace each, while Richardson added four kills in the win. The fourth senior, Needham, didn't play in the match due to an injury.
"Those girls, that's what I always tell them, they're not only a big asset to the team, they're an asset to the program. Two middle blockers, Kat Burger and Simone Richardson, they have been on fire on the net defense and offense. Their blocks and hits have been big for the team. Sydney Needham is out with an injury, has been awesome on the back row. She's been awesome all the way around, but she really shines on the back row. She leads our team in aces," Austin said. "Kate Marshall, she plays outside hitter, and Kate has improved so much this year. Our setters trust her and know when she gets the ball she's going to finish the play."
Anna Humphrey added four service aces and two kills in the win.
The Lady Trojans will now play the final nine matches of the season on the road, including a crucial pair of Area 6-AAAA games on Sept. 25 against River Ridge and Alexander at River Ridge. Currently, Carrollton and River Ridge are tied at the top of the standings with identical 4-0 records.
"We're at home on the road. We have one area play day, which is going to be huge for us. Right now we're 4-0 in our area," Austin said. "We really need to show up like we did [Tuesday] where we want to be, which is in the winning bracket. We just have to keep on pushing."
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