Up-Front Power Lifts Signal Mountain Past CCS, 3-0

Rackel, Powers Get 20 Combined Kills In 7-2A Volleyball Win

  • Tuesday, August 23, 2016
  • Larry Fleming

Signal Mountain sent Chattanooga Christian a quick to-the-point message on Tuesday.

The Lady Chargers better be ready for a tough match.

Well, the Lady Eagles played extremely tough volleyball, used a quick start that set the tempo and went on to crush the Lady Chargers, 3-0, in a District 7-2A match at Signal Mountain School.

Signal Mountain’s up-front attack dominated the smaller CCS players and proved no match for the visitors.

Set scores were 25-14, 25-10, 25-13.

“It felt great that we could run plays we wanted to and not be scared to try our hardest,” said Maia Rackel, who led the Lady Eagles (8-3, 3-0 in the district) with 11 kills. “We learned better ways to handle things.”

Rackel, Olivia Powers and Aubrie Johnson combined for 25 kills against CCS (4-4, 2-2) in a controlling effort at the net. Rackel had 11 kills, Powers nine and Johnson five.

Johnson, the tallest and frequently the most dangerous threat near the net, did not play in the first set and saw limited action the second and third.

“Aubrie missed school and our match Monday,” Lady Eagles coach Jennifer Redman said. “She slept in (Tuesday), but made it to school although she said she didn’t feel good in the morning. It’s my thing, but if you miss school you don’t get to play.”

They were getting solid help from Kate Barry and Sidney Lapinski. That twosome combined for 27 assists and Barry had 16 of them.

“It felt great that we could run the plays we wanted to and not be scared to try our hardest,” Powers (nine kills) said. “We learned better ways to handle things and we worked a lot on our angles more than ever before.

“It seems like when we played a really good team we pull back and don’t try our angles as much.”

Most everything the Lady Eagles tried Tuesday worked flawlessly.

“It was kind of expected,” Redman said. “We’re an older group of girls. We have seniors and juniors that have been playing since they were freshmen. I expect them to play at a high level, although we didn’t reach our level of play at times.”

After the match, Redman put her players through a brief running period.

“We had too many missed serves,” she said. “They’re too good and too old to be missing that many serves. That’s why they were running.”

CCS coach Sarah Davis knew the Lady Chargers would be in for a stiff challenge on the mountain.

The match turned out exactly how she thought it would.

“I know several of the Signal Mountain girls and they’re tough,” Davis said. “We knew that coming in. We just kind of laid down. I don’t think our confidence level was there to put it on Signal Mountain.”

In the tone-setting first set, the Lady Eagles scored the first eight points and Nicole Terfloth had three service points. CCS contributed three errors in the opening burst.

At 9-3, the Lady Eagles went on another run, this time scoring seven consecutive points. CCS had four unforced errors and Rackel came up with two kills and a service point, pushing the Lady Eagles’ lead out to 16-3.

“It was pretty exciting,” Rackel said. “That helped us keep our confidence up and later in the match as well.”

But Redman didn’t like what happened next. At all.

CCS outscored the Lady Eagles 7-1 and was down 17-10.

“When you have someone down 16-3, you don’t let them back in it,” Redman said. “We have to do a better job with that. If we have a team down, we have to keep them down and move on.”

Signal Mountain scored five of the next nine points and had a 22-12 advantage. CCS scored two points, but Hallie Hunt and Rackel, ever on the attack, threw down kills and the Lady Chargers’ shot sailed long for the 25th point and the Lady Eagles were off and running.

CCS led only three times, twice in the third set. Each time, however, Signal Mountain immediately tied the match on the next play and then regained the lead.

A Lady Eagles error gave CCS a 4-3 lead in the second set, but Rackel kills tied it and then gave Signal Mountain a 5-4 lead. Powers added back-to-back attack kills for a 7-4 margin. Down 10-8, CCS watched as Signal Mountain scored seven straight points – Johnson had two kills and Sidney Lapinski an ace and two service points – and extended its advantage to 17-8.

CCS scored once and the Lady Eagles came back with a 5-0 run and a 22-12 lead. Johnson scored on a dink, the Lady Chargers misfired and Rackel’s kill ended the set and gave Signal Mountain a 2-0 cushion.

“Maia’s always solid and that’s why she plays back row,” Redman said. “She’s always a threat for points. (Tuesday) is probably the best that Olivia has hit so far this season. She usually gets a couple kills, but she was hitting it hard today.”

In set three, the Lady Chargers had 3-2 and 5-4 leads and tied the match at 6-6. Signal Mountain rang up 10 of the next 11 points – CCS had three errors in the spree – and built a 16-7 cushion. Rackel scored four times, Barry three times and Rackel scored on one of her three blocks.

Signal Mountain closed it out on a 3-1 run as Rackel had a kill and block and Powers got the 25th point on a slap shot.

Statistics

Chattanooga Christian

A.J. Johnson – 5 kills, 3 digs

Cassie Curry – 1 kill, 1 ace, 1 dig

Anna Linkous – 4 digs

Rachel Kay – 6 assists, 1 ace

Bailey Lancaster – 1 assist, 1 ace

Annika Fischer – 1 kill, 1 block

Brieanna Hemphill – 1 kill

Grace Logterman – 1 kill, 1 block

Allison Hughes – 1 ace, 2 digs

Signal Mountain

Nicole Terfloth – 1 ace, 21 digs

Elaine Redman – 1 dig

Aubrie Johnson – 5 kills 3 digs

Kelsey Sitton – 1 assist

Kate Barry – 16 assists, 6 digs, 1 kill

Maia Rackel – 2 aces, 11 kills, 4 digs, 3 blocks

Sidney Lapinski – 11 assists, 3 digs, 1 kill

Olivia Powers – 9 kills, 1 dig

Cora Hansen – 1 dig, 3 kills

(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryflemng44)

Latest Headlines
Sports
UTC Sofbtall Hosts ETSU In Friday Doubleheader
  • 3/28/2024

The Chattanooga softball team returns to Frost Stadium for a seven-game home stand that begins Friday afternoon against East Tennessee State in Southern Conference action. The Mocs are 21-8 ... more

Covenant Men's Tennis Loses 6-3
  • 3/28/2024

The Covenant Scots looked to boost their nonconference tennis resume with a win on the road at Oglethorpe. Covenant was unable to get the job done, as it fell 3-6. Final: Covenant 3, Oglethorpe ... more

7 Football Mocs Participate In Annual Pro Day
  • 3/28/2024

The Chattanooga Mocs had a 7-man contingent go through their paces in front of NFL scouts at the annual Pro Day. It started in the Wolford Family Strength & Conditioning Center before shifting ... more