SANFORD - Lee Christian celebrated volleyball Senior Night for Hannah Sturm, Evan Waters, Kaitlyn Damon and Corrine Weaver with its 18th straight victory Friday. The Lady Falcons were pushed in two of three sets, but had the key points, especially the key defense, when they needed them, in a 25-17, 25-23, 25-21 win versus The Burlington School.
The Mid-Carolina win keeps the Lady Falcons (18-1, 7-0) ahead of second-place Cresset Christian (5-1 MCC) in the conference race with Lee Christian having three MCC matches and six regular season matches to go.
Lee Christian head coach Tracie Bowers, along with large contingents of family and friends, recognized the four seniors. It’s a group which has led the Lady Falcons from going 0-10 in conference two seasons ago to being the reigning season and tournament MCC champs in a 17-4 overall season last year, and aiming for an even better season right now.
Burlington led 10-8 in the opening set before a 10-0 Lady Falcon run on Taylor Draughn’s service. Dragon served aces and Weaver and Damon put away points at the net in the run.
Burlington closed within a 20-16 score before Weaver, who’s committed to play volleyball at Meredith College and is an equal standout on the soccer field, spiked a kill down the line, then drilled two aces to make the set safe for the Lady Falcons. Weaver, on her way to 20 kills for the match, had nine in the first set.
Lee Christian got out to a 7-2 lead in the next set and still held a 14-10 lead which included the point of the night. Draughn, the Lady Falcon setter, saved a sprayed dig with a quick foot, volleying the ball with, considering the situation, great accuracy and Hodges bumped it over the net and found an open spot for a kill, then a leaping circle of the six Lady Falcons.
A little later in the set, though, Burlington was the side with momentum and a 21-18 lead. Hodges, a freshman, gave the Lady Falcons the jolt they needed with her serves setting up a run of easy points to a 22-21 Lady Falcon edge. Damon knocked a kill off a Spartan tip for a side-out point to 23-22 Lady Falcons. Weaver killed the next point. After a Burlington point, Draughn set Damon who put the ball away putting Lee Christian up 2-0.
There was still work for the Lady Falcons, especially after the visitors went on an 11-0 rally to take a 12-4 lead in the third set.
A seven-point run on Weaver’s serving got the Lady Falcons back in a hurry. The set went back and forth and Burlington led 20-18.
Lee Christian scored four straight points, with two on aces by Kayley Rowland. After a Burlington side-out, the Lady Falcons answered on the next point with a Weaver spike. She put down the next kill, too, for a 24-21 lead, and a kill by Draughn ended the match.
Draughn totaled 25 assists and four aces.
Sixteen of the 18 Lady Falcon wins have been in straight sets and the Lady Falcons haven’t been pushed to a fifth set yet this season.
Lee Christian will host Thales Academy at 4 p.m. Monday, then play at MCC and neighborhood rival Grace Christian at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.th
The Mid-Carolina win keeps the Lady Falcons (18-1, 7-0) ahead of second-place Cresset Christian (5-1 MCC) in the conference race with Lee Christian having three MCC matches and six regular season matches to go.
Lee Christian head coach Tracie Bowers, along with large contingents of family and friends, recognized the four seniors. It’s a group which has led the Lady Falcons from going 0-10 in conference two seasons ago to being the reigning season and tournament MCC champs in a 17-4 overall season last year, and aiming for an even better season right now.
Burlington led 10-8 in the opening set before a 10-0 Lady Falcon run on Taylor Draughn’s service. Dragon served aces and Weaver and Damon put away points at the net in the run.
Burlington closed within a 20-16 score before Weaver, who’s committed to play volleyball at Meredith College and is an equal standout on the soccer field, spiked a kill down the line, then drilled two aces to make the set safe for the Lady Falcons. Weaver, on her way to 20 kills for the match, had nine in the first set.
Lee Christian got out to a 7-2 lead in the next set and still held a 14-10 lead which included the point of the night. Draughn, the Lady Falcon setter, saved a sprayed dig with a quick foot, volleying the ball with, considering the situation, great accuracy and Hodges bumped it over the net and found an open spot for a kill, then a leaping circle of the six Lady Falcons.
A little later in the set, though, Burlington was the side with momentum and a 21-18 lead. Hodges, a freshman, gave the Lady Falcons the jolt they needed with her serves setting up a run of easy points to a 22-21 Lady Falcon edge. Damon knocked a kill off a Spartan tip for a side-out point to 23-22 Lady Falcons. Weaver killed the next point. After a Burlington point, Draughn set Damon who put the ball away putting Lee Christian up 2-0.
There was still work for the Lady Falcons, especially after the visitors went on an 11-0 rally to take a 12-4 lead in the third set.
A seven-point run on Weaver’s serving got the Lady Falcons back in a hurry. The set went back and forth and Burlington led 20-18.
Lee Christian scored four straight points, with two on aces by Kayley Rowland. After a Burlington side-out, the Lady Falcons answered on the next point with a Weaver spike. She put down the next kill, too, for a 24-21 lead, and a kill by Draughn ended the match.
Draughn totaled 25 assists and four aces.
Sixteen of the 18 Lady Falcon wins have been in straight sets and the Lady Falcons haven’t been pushed to a fifth set yet this season.
Lee Christian will host Thales Academy at 4 p.m. Monday, then play at MCC and neighborhood rival Grace Christian at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.th
