Sugar Jets Soar over Franklin
28 October 2007By Greg Bolvi
CANDLER - October 27, 2007 - Those who attended the fourth round of the NCSAA 3-A playoffs at Enka High had to walk past the school’s Spirit Rock on the way to the Sugar Jets’ gym, site of the fourth match of the year between MAC co-champions Enka and Franklin. On the Rock, in bold, blue letters, was a message written by Mike Dawson, whose daughter Katie is a member of this year’s volleyball team. The three words were to the point–"Bring it, Blue!"
And bring it they did, as the Sugar Jets convincingly dominated their fourth encounter with Franklin, winning 25-17, 25-13, 25-11. The three games to zero triumph restored a measure of revenge for the Sugar Jets, who earlier in the regular season had seen the Lady Panthers end their 47 game winning streak.
Both Enka coach Sue Moon and her counterpart, Franklin’s Anna Shields emphasized before the match that defense would be the key to the final result, and both were prophetic. However, it was Enka’s domination on both the defensive and offensive ends that proved to be the difference. The Lady Panthers spent most the match in a defensive posture as the Sugar Jets rained shot after shot at the Red and White.
Game one saw both sides start out tentatively, as neither side was able to open more than a 3 point lead. Six of the first seven points of the game were the result of unforced errors, and the game was tied at 5-5 before Enka began to asset themselves at the net. A kill by Lauren Hall, followed by a block by Hall and Kirstyn Burleson gave the Sugar Jets a two point lead that they would maintain until a pair of kills by Franklin’s Jena Cabe gave the Lady Panthers a 14-13 advantage.
It was then that Enka put on a blitz to put the game away. After A kill by Hall to tie things up at 14, Rachel Olivo’s block and a Franklin unforced error gave Enka a lead it would not relinquish. A kill by Olivo and a pair of infractions by the Lady Panthers forced Shields to take a time out. Another kill by Burleson plus two more unforced errors had the Lady Panthers halting the proceedings again with the score 21-15. Still another errant hit by the visitors, another kill by Hall, an Olivo block, a dink shot by Rebekah McCarson, and a game ending power bomb by Burleson sent the pro-Enka crowd into a frenzy.
Game two started much the same way as the first game, with both sides trading points until Olivo served with her team ahead 5-4. Following a kill by Hall, an ace by Olivo, a tip by Burleson into an unguarded middle of the Franklin side, followed by the same play by Hall, and a Franklin hitting error, Coach Shields called a time out to quiet the uprising with her squad down 10-4.
A pair of points by the Lady Panthers’ Kortney Conner and Nicole Carpenter temporarily stopped the bleeding, but the Sugar Jets tallied five of the next six points to force another time out for Franklin. Enka then displayed its finesse game as well as its defensive prowess to outscore the the Lady Panthers in just about every way possible. Perhaps the defining moment of game two (and the match) came with Enka leading 20-12. Franklin’s Evan Moffett returned a volley with a lazer of her own. Jessica Yarborough not only digs the missile to deny Franklin a point, but passes it to a teammate who feeds Hall for another kill. Burleson’s kill put a final exclamation point on on the 25-13 score.
Game three had much of the same script as the first two–close for the first few points, then the Sugar Jets took charge and got stronger as the game progressed. Coach Moon’s charges surged to a 10-4 lead, thanks in part to the stellar front line play of Olivo, Hall, and Burleson, then increased their margain to 17-7 thanks to the play of Katie Dawson, Kirstie Hyatt, and Jillian Gibson. The closest Franklin came to the Sugar Jets was 18-9, and that was due to a pair of errors by Enka.
A kill by Olivo for the game’s final point gave the home team a 25-11 win, the match at 3-0, the third win in four outings against Franklin, and a trip to the state semi-finals against an opponent to be determined.
Hall had 20 kills and two blocks, Burleson contributed 13 kills, Olivo added 12 kills, one block, and 11 digs, Hyatt had 19 digs, Rebecca Smith added 14 digs, and 41 assists to lead the Sugar Jets to their triumph.
Gracious in victory, Coach Moon noted that the win was "probably one of our better games," and that "our kids keep striving for perfection." "We try to be the hardest working team in 3-A volleyball, and it’s paying off," she concluded.
Senior Lauren Hall agreed. "We just want to keep working hard, and go as far as we can."
At 23-1, this Sugar Jets’ team just keeps bringin’ it!
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