The Whiteoak Lady Wildcats hosted the Manchester Lady Greyhounds on Wednesday evening in Southern Hills Athletic Conference (SHAC) volleyball action. The Lady Cats came out on top with a 3 – 1 victory in four sets.
Whiteoak came out in the first set prepared to do battle with the Lady Hounds and took an early 3 – 0 lead in the set. Manchester tried to answer back but was unable to get their service game going early and gave the ball right back to Whiteoak.
The Lady Cats were able to create some separation when Hannah Maynard provided five straight service points to put Whiteoak up by a score of 12 – 9. However, Manchester would not go away as they kept the score close for much of the set.
Whiteoak eventually put the first set away on a return of the Lady Hounds serve for the 25 – 22 set win.
The second set was much like the first set except the Lady Hounds were able to turn the table on the Lady Cats and pull away late for the 25 – 22 set win evening the match score to one set apiece.
The third set was as exciting as it gets with the Lady Cats and Lady Hounds trading the lead. White got some breathing room when Gabrielle Tebo provided three straight service points to give the Lady Wildcats a 20 – 18 lead.
The Lady Greyhounds would not go quietly and rallied to tie it at 20 all. The two teams were so evenly matched in the set that they ended up tied at 24 apiece when Manchester successfully defended set point. The Lady Hounds were unable to capitalize and Baylee Carey took advantage on her next serve securing the 26 – 24 third set victory for Whiteoak and giving her team a 2 – 1 lead in the match.
The fourth set was all Whiteoak as the Lady Hounds were unable to get in a rhythm on their serves and had all kinds of trouble defending the serve of the Lady Cats. Maynard and Macy Knoblauch both had stretches in the first set where they recorded four straight service points and Tebo put it away with three straight points at the end to give Whiteoak the 25 – 13 set win.
Whiteoak head coach Katie Pollard said after the match, “We have a great team and great girls that work together. Na issue for us all year has been letting teams go on runs before we come back to tie it. I need the girls to want it every time.”
Knoblauch led the Lady Cats on the night with 13 kills in 20 attempts as well as leading the team in service receptions with 17. Tebo led the team with four service aces in 17 serves and Maynard had four aces on the night as well.
Whiteoak will be back in action again on Tuesday when they travel to Peebles to take on the Lady Indians in a key SHAC matchup.
Reach Ryan Applegate at 937-402-2572, or on Twitter @RCApplegate89.
