It didn’t take long for Martin County’s varsity volleyball team to pick up its first win of the season.
The Gators, under new head coach Amy Bennett, rallied to win the first two sets and then took control early in the third set en route to a 25-21, 26-24, 25-15 triumph over North Pitt in its season-opening nonconference match on Monday.
Martin County trailed by as many as five points in the first set, but a four-point serving run by Kyla Beach, punctuated by a block from Trinity Congleton evened the score at 11-all.
The teams were tied at 12, 13 and 14 before the Panthers used two points from 20 to regain the advantage.
Back came the Gators, who used a push return from Serenity Ellis, a solid play at the net from Beach and an ace from Ellis to regain the lead, 19-17.
Izzy Williams had a key kill to keep the visitors out in front, and North Pitt sideout followed by an ace from Erica Sturgill gave Martin County the first set.
Gabby Bennett’s three service points (including one on a crosscourt kill from Ellis) gave the Gators the early lead in the second set, but the Panthers rallied behind Jayla Andrews, who had a tap and a kill on Martin County’s serve to keep the home team in front, 14-11.
A pair of kills from Williams brought Martin County within a point before an Andrews smash kept the Panthers in the lead.
The home team was able to maintain a slim advantage until a tap from MC tied it at 23-all. Andrews’ return into an open space put the Panthers one point away from tying the match at a set each, but the Gators used a kill to tie it at 24. On Ellis’s serve, Williams put away an assist from Sturgill and an ace ended the set with Martin County holding a commanding advantage.
The final set was all Gators.
A diving return by Sturgill on Gabby Bennett’s serve helped the visitors establish a 4-2 lead. A push return and smash from Williams made it 6-2.
A four-point run at the service line from Ellis, led by a kill from Beach and another putaway by Williams off an assist from Sturgill, gave the Gators a 12-4 lead.
Andrews’ kill briefly gave North Pitt some hope, but Williams’ return found open space as Martin County got the point back.
The closest the Panthers could get was four points on three straight occasions. But there was Williams again, killing any momentum the home team had with another smash on Ellis’s assist. Three points from Gabby Bennett and a tap at the net by Sturgill extended the Gators lead to 20-13.
Two Sturgill assists led to two more kills by Williams, and North Pitt’s serve landed in the net to complete the Martin County sweep.
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