One step closer for Lady Knights
By Eric Barry
Special to the Times
Every match is one set at a time for the Greenfield Lady Knights as they swept Charlotte Victory Christian 25-15, 25-22, 25-23 in the second round of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A volleyball playoffs Thursday.
The win places the fifth-seeded Lady Knights, now 12-4, in the quarterfinals Saturday at No. 4 Southside Christian in Clayton. Neither Greenfield nor unseeded Victory Christian (5-7) had a first-round opponent as each advanced with a bye.
Thursday's game at Greenfield did not begin as planned for the Lady Knights, said head coach Jadelyn Castillo, as they began with a 6-2 deficit.
"The girls were a little nervous, because it's a playoff match so it's win or go home, so I think it just took them a little bit of time to get the nerves out of their system. After the many unforced errors, the girls figured it out and found their rhythm and energy," Castillo said.
The recovery started once junior libero Mackenzie Landers stepped up to serve. Landers provided six straight service points for the Lady Knights for the team to get comfortable in the match. After the Lady Knights found their footing the remainder of the first set, the remaining sets were downhill.
Landers ended the game with a triple-double of 13 service points, 10 kills and 16 digs. Ysabella Saldi had the team high 20 assists and accompanied her assists with eight digs. Gracelyn Narron also contributed to the serving point total, clocking in 14, while Gabrielle Vester secured five kills.
Castillo explained that game plan has always been to focus on the present.
"I told the girls we weren't going to worry about tomorrow or the next game, or not even the second set,” she said. “Today we were going to play one point at a time. We wanted to make sure that we started strong every single set. Worrying on what's ahead takes away the focus on the point at hand. So, we really focused on just getting one point at a time today."
The Lady Knights intend to bring the same mindset Saturday.8
By Eric Barry
Special to the Times
Every match is one set at a time for the Greenfield Lady Knights as they swept Charlotte Victory Christian 25-15, 25-22, 25-23 in the second round of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A volleyball playoffs Thursday.
The win places the fifth-seeded Lady Knights, now 12-4, in the quarterfinals Saturday at No. 4 Southside Christian in Clayton. Neither Greenfield nor unseeded Victory Christian (5-7) had a first-round opponent as each advanced with a bye.
Thursday's game at Greenfield did not begin as planned for the Lady Knights, said head coach Jadelyn Castillo, as they began with a 6-2 deficit.
"The girls were a little nervous, because it's a playoff match so it's win or go home, so I think it just took them a little bit of time to get the nerves out of their system. After the many unforced errors, the girls figured it out and found their rhythm and energy," Castillo said.
The recovery started once junior libero Mackenzie Landers stepped up to serve. Landers provided six straight service points for the Lady Knights for the team to get comfortable in the match. After the Lady Knights found their footing the remainder of the first set, the remaining sets were downhill.
Landers ended the game with a triple-double of 13 service points, 10 kills and 16 digs. Ysabella Saldi had the team high 20 assists and accompanied her assists with eight digs. Gracelyn Narron also contributed to the serving point total, clocking in 14, while Gabrielle Vester secured five kills.
Castillo explained that game plan has always been to focus on the present.
"I told the girls we weren't going to worry about tomorrow or the next game, or not even the second set,” she said. “Today we were going to play one point at a time. We wanted to make sure that we started strong every single set. Worrying on what's ahead takes away the focus on the point at hand. So, we really focused on just getting one point at a time today."
The Lady Knights intend to bring the same mindset Saturday.8
