Clinton digs into winning groove
Clinton’s Jolie Rodd dives to the floor and gets a hand under the ball to keep the rally alive against Anderson County on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Rodd’s sprawling save extended the point and ultimately helped the Lady Dragons turn the defensive effort into a score. (photo:Tony Cox )
“The team as a whole is getting better; we’re getting stronger,” Coach Lorri Johnson said. “Our serve-receive was much better.”
The Lady Dragons opened the week with a 3-0 home victory over crosstown rival Anderson County on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
Clinton won the tightly contested sets 25-21, 25-23 and 25-22.
Clinton followed with a 25-10, 25-11 victory over the Trailblazers on Wednesday, and then defeated Campbell County on the road 25-17, 25-16, 25-13 Thursday, Sept. 17.
“My sophomore outside, Anslee Carmichael, had a great week for passing and digging as well as hitting,” Johnson said.
Carmichael had six kills and an ace against the Trailblazers before recording six kills and a block against Campbell County.
“She just had overall a great game,” Johnson said. “She’s a sophomore. My senior, my other outside, Maggie Moke, really stepped up this week with the serving line and getting passes and digs when they served to her or hit at her.”
Moke had nine aces, a kill and a block against the Trailblazers and four aces and six kills against Campbell County.
“So those two are kind of part of the base of the improvement this week,” Johnson said. “And, of course, my setters are setting fast. We’re trying to hit fast because we’re not big. We’re not a big team. So we’ve got to hit around people.”
Parker McGhee had three aces, four kills and a block against Campbell County after recording three aces, five kills and four blocks against the Trailblazers.
“She can hit over people, but for the most part the team doesn’t hit over them,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to go around them. So anyway, that takes a lot more finesse. It takes more skill from our passing, putting the ball on target to be able to run and execute that fast offense. So it’s coming together.”
Against Campbell County, Jailie Rodd had two aces, five assists, four kills and seven digs.
Alaina Staudenmaier had 12 assists, while Hanna Harvey added three aces and six digs.
Against the Trailblazers, Staudenmaier had six assists, while Maggie Trubyville added three digs and a kill.
Harvey had seven digs and an ace, and Rodd finished with six assists, three kills and five digs.
