Lady Chargers rule first meeting with Greenfield
By Tom Ham Senior Staff Writer
The Wilson Christian Academy varsity volleyball team, after a sharp opening set, yielded to sloppy tendencies and, in the match’s latter stages, a mixture of reserves and a couple of starters struggled.
But host Greenfield School, without the services of junior setter Samantha Wainwright (sickness), was out of synch from the start.
Thus, the Lady Chargers of the North Carolina Christian School Association 2-A ranks rode the momentum of the opening set to a 25-8, 25-15, 25-20 victory in the sweltering Greenfield gym Tuesday afternoon.
Wilson Christian boosted its record to 3-4, while the Lady Knights, in the first season of head coach Catherine Barber, dropped to 0-6 in what was believed to be the first varsity volleyball clash between the neighboring private schools.
From the outset, Greenfield of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association’s 1-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference, had no answer for the WCA quartet of seniors Lindsey Scott, Julianne Attoe and Presley Bissett and junior Sarah Carr.
Bissett assured the Lady Chargers performed far from top form and pointed out the team tends to play at the level of its opposition and substitutions were frequent late in the match.
But with Wainwright absent, senior libero Kaitlyn Newman moved to setter and, as Barber noted, confusion prevailed. The uncertainty glared the opening set with Greenfield’s lack of movement and communication and a barrage of Wilson Christian aces.
“We didn’t know where we were supposed to be,” Newman explained. “But we kind of got the hang of it, thought it through and figured out where we needed to be. This was probably the worst game we’ve had all year.”
Wilson Christian served for 23 aces, with 11 coming in the opening set. Carr’s ace closed the set.
The Lady Knights continued to meet futility with balls at the net in the second set, but became more effective at extending points. Consequently, Wilson Christian errors became more frequent. Greenfield, sparked by Newman, drew as close as 5-3, 16-12, 17-13 and 17-15 before Wilson Christian senior Kristen Raper served the last eight points. Attoe’s kill ended it.
Raper then served the Lady Chargers to a 4-0 margin to open the third game. But Greenfield got spark from junior Anna Merritt Hauser. The Lady Knights’ only kill, from eighth-grader Caroline Stone, axed the Lady Chargers’ lead to 12-8. An ace from junior Maggie Hix resulted in Greenfield’s only tie at 17-17.
Wilson Christian reclaimed the lead at 18-17 on a missed Greenfield serve. Lady Chargers first-year head coach Ryan Vanderboegh returned his starters to the court. Wilson Christian promptly pulled away, getting a match-ending dink from Attoe.
“That was good for the starters,” first-year Wilson Christian head coach Ryan Vanderboegh reasoned. “They had to dig themselves back to where we wanted them to be and fight for it. Credit Greenfield for not giving up.”
However, Vanderboegh liked the opening set, noting his Lady Chargers attacked and “were not losing opportunities.”
Raper triggered the Lady Chargers with 11 aces and 17 assists. Attoe added nine kills and two aces. Carr notched six kills and three aces, while Scott wound up with five kills and three aces.
Bissett indicated the veteran team is upbeat about bringing the school its first state championship since 2012. She was a member of that edition.
“We have a lot of potential,” she declared. “If we get it all together, we can be a really great team. We just have to put our minds to it and play like we know how.”
Newman paced Greenfield with three aces. Hauser, freshman Sumer Hassan and Hix added one each. Barber cited Hix as the Lady Knights’ most effective serve receiver.
Conversely, Greenfield’s situation is one of buying into structured play their young coach is teaching.
“It has been eye-opening,” Barber admitted. “They have come so far — so much farther than they have been. Now, they have structure and a coach that knows the ins-and-outs of the game.
“But today was frustrating for all the girls. They were out of whack and confused. They overcame it a little bit and came back. But they need to understand they have put too much into it to take volleyball as a joke.’Newman, a volleyball player since the sixth grade, said she has never played for a winning team at Greenfield and added the program has not been good.
She’s the only senior and commented: “It’s not easy to try to keep everybody’s spirits up because we don’t have a good record.”
By Tom Ham Senior Staff Writer
The Wilson Christian Academy varsity volleyball team, after a sharp opening set, yielded to sloppy tendencies and, in the match’s latter stages, a mixture of reserves and a couple of starters struggled.
But host Greenfield School, without the services of junior setter Samantha Wainwright (sickness), was out of synch from the start.
Thus, the Lady Chargers of the North Carolina Christian School Association 2-A ranks rode the momentum of the opening set to a 25-8, 25-15, 25-20 victory in the sweltering Greenfield gym Tuesday afternoon.
Wilson Christian boosted its record to 3-4, while the Lady Knights, in the first season of head coach Catherine Barber, dropped to 0-6 in what was believed to be the first varsity volleyball clash between the neighboring private schools.
From the outset, Greenfield of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association’s 1-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference, had no answer for the WCA quartet of seniors Lindsey Scott, Julianne Attoe and Presley Bissett and junior Sarah Carr.
Bissett assured the Lady Chargers performed far from top form and pointed out the team tends to play at the level of its opposition and substitutions were frequent late in the match.
But with Wainwright absent, senior libero Kaitlyn Newman moved to setter and, as Barber noted, confusion prevailed. The uncertainty glared the opening set with Greenfield’s lack of movement and communication and a barrage of Wilson Christian aces.
“We didn’t know where we were supposed to be,” Newman explained. “But we kind of got the hang of it, thought it through and figured out where we needed to be. This was probably the worst game we’ve had all year.”
Wilson Christian served for 23 aces, with 11 coming in the opening set. Carr’s ace closed the set.
The Lady Knights continued to meet futility with balls at the net in the second set, but became more effective at extending points. Consequently, Wilson Christian errors became more frequent. Greenfield, sparked by Newman, drew as close as 5-3, 16-12, 17-13 and 17-15 before Wilson Christian senior Kristen Raper served the last eight points. Attoe’s kill ended it.
Raper then served the Lady Chargers to a 4-0 margin to open the third game. But Greenfield got spark from junior Anna Merritt Hauser. The Lady Knights’ only kill, from eighth-grader Caroline Stone, axed the Lady Chargers’ lead to 12-8. An ace from junior Maggie Hix resulted in Greenfield’s only tie at 17-17.
Wilson Christian reclaimed the lead at 18-17 on a missed Greenfield serve. Lady Chargers first-year head coach Ryan Vanderboegh returned his starters to the court. Wilson Christian promptly pulled away, getting a match-ending dink from Attoe.
“That was good for the starters,” first-year Wilson Christian head coach Ryan Vanderboegh reasoned. “They had to dig themselves back to where we wanted them to be and fight for it. Credit Greenfield for not giving up.”
However, Vanderboegh liked the opening set, noting his Lady Chargers attacked and “were not losing opportunities.”
Raper triggered the Lady Chargers with 11 aces and 17 assists. Attoe added nine kills and two aces. Carr notched six kills and three aces, while Scott wound up with five kills and three aces.
Bissett indicated the veteran team is upbeat about bringing the school its first state championship since 2012. She was a member of that edition.
“We have a lot of potential,” she declared. “If we get it all together, we can be a really great team. We just have to put our minds to it and play like we know how.”
Newman paced Greenfield with three aces. Hauser, freshman Sumer Hassan and Hix added one each. Barber cited Hix as the Lady Knights’ most effective serve receiver.
Conversely, Greenfield’s situation is one of buying into structured play their young coach is teaching.
“It has been eye-opening,” Barber admitted. “They have come so far — so much farther than they have been. Now, they have structure and a coach that knows the ins-and-outs of the game.
“But today was frustrating for all the girls. They were out of whack and confused. They overcame it a little bit and came back. But they need to understand they have put too much into it to take volleyball as a joke.’Newman, a volleyball player since the sixth grade, said she has never played for a winning team at Greenfield and added the program has not been good.
She’s the only senior and commented: “It’s not easy to try to keep everybody’s spirits up because we don’t have a good record.”
