Lady Dragons defeat Central in thrilling match
Clinton High School volleyball Coach Lorri Johnson said her team was in top form in its District 3-AAA match against Knoxville Central last Thursday night.
Sure, it might have taken four sets for the Lady Dragons to put away Central, but that didn’t seem to matter.
“This was our best district match of the season, even though it went four,” Johnson said after Clinton outlasted the Lady Bobcats, 25-15, 22-25, 25-10, 26-24, in Fountain City. “They have some really good young kids, and they’ve gotten better.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish the second half of the district schedule and don’t lose again,” Johnson said. “Of course, they have to play Oak Ridge again, and we’ll have to play them again, too.”
Thursday night’s match was the second meeting between Clinton and the Lady Bobcats. The previous contest, played at the Don W. Lockard Gymnasium, also went four sets.
Johnson also credited Central Coach Susan Davidson for putting up a valiant effort on their home floor during a Pink Out match played to support those fighting cancer.
The first match in Clinton was also a Pink Out match.
“That was some great volleyball, great volleyball on both sides,” Johnson said.
“You had great hitting and great blocking. It was just great volleyball.”
Davidson agreed.
“This was a great game, and we almost took them to five,” said Davidson, a former head coach at Farragut High School.
“I’m not upset at all. My kids played their hearts out,” she said.
“We got in trouble in that one set, but my kids played great, and Lorri has done a great job over there.”
The Lady Dragons boasted a balanced hitting attack.
Josie Moody finished the match with 17 kills. She also totaled two blocks, 18 assists, and 32 digs. Ellie Murrell, a senior for Clinton, added 10 kills, five blocks, and five digs.
Parker McGhee came up with nine kills, five blocks, and four aces. Lanee Carmichael had seven kills and 10 digs.
Macy Wandell finished with 18 digs. Keagan Skaggs recorded seven digs and 20 assists, while McKenzie Crisp had 16 digs.
On Tuesday, Sept. 17, the Lady Dragons swept Karns in a district match in Northwest Knox County, topping the host Lady Beavers 25-11, 25-21, 25-6.
McGhee was Clinton’s kills leader, finishing with eight. She also had two blocks.
Moody contributed five kills, three aces, 15 digs, and one block.
Carmichael and Murrell had three kills each, with Carmichael finishing with five digs and Murrell adding two blocks.
Wandell had four aces and four digs. Skaggs finished with nine assists, six digs, and three aces, while Crisp recorded 12 digs.