JV Hawk Consistency Takes Down Akins Eagles
By Karen Russell Holmes
Akins Eagles flew into the Hawks lair last night only to find the smaller raptor ready for the kill. Calm, cool and collected, the junior varsity volleyball team swept the Eagles in two matches for the game.
In match one, consistency and methodology kept the Lady Hawks in the lead the entire round. The Eagles could only come within three points of them. Nothing Akins did could ruffle the Hawks feathers. Raegan Cowan, Audrey Schultz and Eden Farley were money at the net. Nothing dropped to the court with Mariah Haight running the show as labero in the back court with the digging help of Tyler Hollums and Tilly Giammalva. Canyon Lake won with a solid 25-19 score.
The second match, however, started out rough and the first five volleys had the Hawks behind.
Akins came out strong with serves to all the right places. The Hawks came from behind only to hold the lead for one point and fell behind again. Their calm and collected from the first match became loose and disconnected. Throughout the match it was obvious that the Hawks were the more disciplined team, however, the second time around lacked the consistency of the first match.
Finally, the Hawks started getting hot at the net when Schultz snuck a spike to an open part of the court and Cowan added to the lead with another spike taking the score to 15-13. Adia Garcia was powerful at the net this match and helped to bring the Eagles out of the heights with her blocking power. Playing off of Akins weaknesses in midcourt and along the sides, the Hawks were able to spread the score to 18-14.
Consistency drifted back in and the methodic play of bump, set, spike took the Lady Hawks to a 24-18 lead. But, right when the crowd thought it was time to go home, Akins worked the score back to a two-point spread of 22-24, then 23-24. The game was one by the Hawks on an error by the Eagles, 25-23.