Lady Blues volleyball swept in Boyd rematch News Staff Fri, 08/30/2024 - 8:53 am
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham junior Rylee Moore (14) tips the ball over the net during the team’s home game against Boyd this past Tuesday, Aug. 27. The Lady Blues were swept in the match 3-0. 
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Lady Blues junior Kaden Atwood looks to serve the ball for her team during their match Tuesday, Aug. 27 against Boyd. Graham took a difficult 3-0 loss to the Lady Jackets despite strong efforts all game. 
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham senior Braylee Mayes (5) smacks a ball over the net from her position on the backline during the team’s rematch Tuesday, Aug. 27 against Boyd. The Lady Blues took a 3-0 loss. 
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Senior Emi Gordy (6) pushes the ball over to the other side of the court during Graham’s game Tuesday, Aug. 27 against Boyd. The Lady Blues played the Lady Jackets for the second time in four days but took a 3-0 loss. 
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) The Lady Blues on the court celebrate a big block which turned into a point for the team during their loss Tuesday, Aug. 27 against Boyd.
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TC Gordon sports@grahamleader.com
Four days following a hard-fought battle in the championship match of the Lu Allen Memorial Tournament, the Graham Lady Blues got a second chance at defeating the tournament champion Boyd Lady Jackets.
The home team Lady Blues put up another valiant effort all game but ultimately took a loss to the visiting team in straight sets 3-0.
Graham (11-5) had bright moments that resembled the team that took second overall in the tournament last weekend, but the Lady Blues also struggled with various aspects of their game. Boyd (15-2) won the match with scores of 25-22, 25-23 and 25-16.
“I think we're all disappointed because we felt so good on how we did Friday and Saturday (in the Lu Allen tournament),” head coach Marci Faulk said. “But I told them we had good moments. We also had some bad in there. We just need to eliminate that, or eliminate how many mistakes we have, and have more of those high moments, those positives.”
One of the issues that plagued the team in the championship match last Saturday was fatigue. The Lady Blues had just finished a grueling three-set match against Peaster in the semifinal before they took on the rested Lady Jackets in the final.
But with both teams coming into Tuesday’s competition rested, Boyd came out of the gate strong and made the possibility of a comeback difficult in the first set.
The two teams started out close, but a six-point run pushed the visitors’ lead to 13-7 early. Graham’s serve-receive didn’t help much in the opening set as Boyd kept the Lady Blues’ off-balance and unable to set up their offense.
However, little by little, the Lady Blues crawled back into things. Senior Lillian Noble — who was named to the Lu Allen All-Tournament team for her performance in the eight games — got things going for the team with a few kills, while fellow All-Tournament team performer and senior Braylee Mayes added in a block and kill for a couple of points.
Graham managed to tie the first set at 19-19 and later at 22-22. But the Lady Blues weren’t able to push past the visitors, and after a timeout with Boyd leading 24-22, Graham committed an error to give the Lady Jackets the set.
“I thought the tempo was pretty quick tonight, the speed of the game, and I thought that got us on defense. We weren't quite set to our defensive assignments,” Faulk said.
The second set couldn’t have begun much better for Graham as the team quickly built a 7-1 advantage which forced an early Boyd timeout. Mayes and Noble led the way with senior Annemarie McHenry contributing a kill of her own.
The Lady Blues held the lead for most of the frame, with McHenry continuing to contribute at the net and service line, and junior Rylee Moore pitching in a huge block for a point. However, Boyd stayed steady and managed to tie the set at 19-19.
Graham took a 20-19 lead off a kill from McHenry assisted by freshman Kya Cooper. But Boyd pulled back to take the lead, and despite efforts from all the Lady Blues, the Lady Jackets earned the second-set win 25-23.
By the time the third set came around, Boyd seemed to have all the momentum. The Lady Jackets took a big lead in the opening minutes and it was one they wouldn’t relinquish.
The Lady Blues did get within one point of the visitors after senior Camden Thorne scored on a fake set she hit to the opponent’s side to make it 14-13 in Boyd’s favor. But Graham didn’t come any closer as the Lady Jackets took the third set 25-16.
It was a disappointing loss for the team that was looking to avenge the result of the match from a few days prior. But Faulk knows those positive moments leading to wins will show up sooner rather than later.
“I don't know if it's mental: stay in and focus on those last few points and finishing (or) the pressure of finishing, but we just have to figure it out and get over that hump,” Faulk said. “... No one's more disappointed than they are. They're frustrated with the same thing. So I think we'll get it. It's just everyone wants it right now.”
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