The Sale Creek volleyball team left MTSU’s Murphy Center last fall with a bad taste in its mouth after finishing runner-up to Loretto in the Class A state volleyball tournament.
It was the highest finish ever for the Lady Panthers, but they made a solemn vow to themselves and to each other that they would do everything necessary for another shot at the state’s top prize.
The Lady Panthers will get that chance come Tuesday after defeating East Robertson in a sectional match at Sale Creek’s McEwen Gym Thursday night. It will be the fourth straight trip to Murfreesboro and fifth overall for Sale Creek.
Sale Creek improves to 24-16 with its sixth straight win following the win over the Lady Indians. Set scores were 25-17, 25-20, 19-25 and 25-16.
This clash featured two pretty evenly-matched teams, but the Lady Panthers made less mistakes down the stretch and that was basically the difference in the match.
Sale Creek coach Erin Briner, who was a junior in 2012 when the Lady Panthers made their first trip to Murfreesboro, was just happy to win and advance, regardless of how close the scores were.
“We’re pumped as we’re going back to state,” Briner said while players, parents and a host of Sale Creek students whooped it up following the final point.
“It’s been a roller-coaster season at times as we weren’t very experience at the start, but these girls have played their hearts out. We were able to stay together tonight when it got close, but we didn’t get frustrated and that was a key to us winning.
“We really didn’t know anything about East Robertson, but we knew they’d be scrappy. And I really didn’t know how my girls would respond to such a pressure match, but we seem to be peaking at the right time and I have all the faith in them. We have nothing to lose at this point and I’m sure I’ll sleep good tonight, but I’ve been a nervous wreck all day,” she added.
A kill from Gabi Lacheney and a pair of aces from Kacie Billingsley gave the Lady Panthers a quick 3-0 lead. Sale Creek never trailed as they pulled away from an 11-9 lead for an 18-11 advantage and never got any closer.
The second set was more competitive than the first as the Lady Indians led on four occasions, the last being at 17-16, but that’s where Sale Creek started playing smarter volleyball.
A block from Ava Higgins helped the winners battle back for a 20-17 lead and it was a two-set lead a minute later when Lacheney recorded another kill.
There were eight ties and six lead changes in the third set, the last tie at 14-14. The Lady Indians then scored seven of the next eight points to gain the upper hand and claimed their only set when a Billingsley serve sailed into the net.
It was still anybody’s match at that point, but hitting errors were the downfall for the team from a small town in middle Tennessee called Cross Plains.
Reese Pennington had seven kills for East Robertson to keep the score respectable, but the Lady Indians couldn’t overcome at least 16 unforced hitting errors.
Back-to-back kills from Lillie Morgan and Lacheney clinched the win for Sale Creek as the celebration began.
Morgan, who earned MVP honors on Tuesday in the region when she celebrated her 17th birthday, had another outstanding performance with 19 kills and 23 digs. Allison Smith had 36 digs while Billingsley finished the evening with 28 assists and 10 digs. Sophia Dozier added 18 assists and 10 digs for the winners.
The Lady Indians headed to the dressing room as soon as the last point was scored, so head coach Connie Caldwell-Rogan wasn’t available for comment and no stats were available for her team.
THE RESULTS WEREN'T as good for CSAS at the Lady Patriots lost 3-0 at Watertown. Set scores were 25-15, 25-22 and 25-14 as the Lady Tigers improved to 32-5. CSAS ends an outstanding season at 28-10.
SALE CREEK STATS:
Allison Smith – 36 digs, 1 assist
Sarah Gibson – 9 kills, 4 blocks, 15 digs
Katie McNabb – 3 blocks
Lillie Morgan – 19 kills, 23 digs, 1 ace
Ruthie Parks – 17 digs
Kacie Billingsley – 28 assists, 10 digs, 2 aces
Sophia Dozier – 18 assists, 10 digs
Kayla Phillips – 7 kills, 8 digs, 1 block
Gabi Lacheney – 10 kills, 4 digs
Ava Higgins – 1 block.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)