Clinton shows fight in volleyball loss
Clinton senior Maggie Moke drops low to dig a Hardin Valley serve during the Lady Dragons’ season opener Monday night at Don W. Lockard Gymnasium. Clinton battled back to take the third set before falling to the Lady Hawks in four sets, 25-18, 25-17, 14-25, 25-14. (photo:Tony Cox )
“Our youth showed tonight,” Clinton Coach Lorri Johnson said.
“I’m small with my hitters on the right side, and Hardin Valley had two great hitters. They’re not really all that big, but they’re smart and they’re strong, and they hurt us in the first two sets.
“Obviously, we did a better job adjusting in that third set,” he said.
Clinton defeated the Lady Hawks in Knoxville to open the 2025 season, but Hardin Valley returned the favor on the road this year.
“We played them to open the season over there, and we won, and they won this year over here,” Johnson said. “That doesn’t mean that you’re not going to have a great year. That just means that you’re going to have to keep learning and keep growing.
“Our kids hustle and they chase balls. They don’t let up,” he said.
Statistics weren’t available immediately after the match, but Johnson was pleased with Lauren Powell, a sophomore who plays both middle blocker and outside hitter.
“Lauren did a nice job for us,” Johnson said.
The Lady Dragons were set to play 2025 District 3-AAA regular-season champion Knoxville Central on Tuesday, but results were not available at press time.