The Miami Trace High School varsity volleyball team improved to 2-0 in the Frontier Athletic Conference with a three sets to none win over visiting Hillsboro High School last Thursday, 25-18, 25-17 and 25-20.
Miami Trace also won the jayvee match, 25-12, 25-22.
For the Lady Panthers, Gracie Ferguson had 28 set assists. Addyson Butts led with 11 kills. Courtney Carter had eight kills and Sophia Parsons had seven kills and six solo blocks.
For Hillsboro, Cora Akers led with seven blocks. Samantha Tipton had three blocks, Camryn Sprull had two, while Brynli Labig and Jolee Cummings each had one. Also for Hillsboro, Hallie Reveal led with 18 digs. Addison Huff had 12 digs, Mya Bell had 11 and Akers and Sprull both had 10.
“We had our ups and downs a little bit,” Miami Trace head coach Doug Mace said. “For the most part, we kind of let the girls play the game. We didn’t try to over-coach a whole lot this time. The more that the girls can figure things out there on the floor, without the coaches pointing it out during play, I think is definitely a plus. There were a few times when Hillsboro was making a good run on us. We probably should’ve taken a time out, but we didn’t. We kind of allowed them to work through it. We faced a little adversity that way.
The games were all close. In the third game they were ahead of us by a couple of points. The games stayed fairly within three or four points. There was no sense of urgency or panic, but the games could’ve gone either way.”
Hillsboro coach Lindsay Bloom said, “The girls tonight played really well. We’ve improved a lot from last year and I’m really impressed with the coverage on these big (Miami Trace) hitters. I know we’re going to get there. They didn’t give up. They were pretty scrappy.”
Hillsboro played Jackson on Tuesday, Aug. 30 and won that FAC match in five sets.
Hillsboro is 3-3 overall, 1-1 in the FAC.
Hillsboro’s next match is another FAC event, at Chillicothe on Tuesday, Sept. 13.
Miami Trace improved to 4-1 overall.
In other FAC matches Thursday, Jackson beat Washington, 3-2 and Chillicothe defeated McClain, 3-1.
Chris Hoppes is the sports editor for the Record-Herald in Washington C.H.
