PREP VOLLEYBALL: Gate City gets best of Powell Valley

BY JOSH FLOYD
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
GATE CITY, Va. – After watching Powell Valley get two great starts down the scoring drag strip, host Gate City mashed its proverbial accelerator down at just the right time Monday.
Barely.

The Blue Devils – paced by a game-high 31 assists from Callie Sloop – sidestepped a Viking game point in the opener and rallied from a 21-20 deficit in game two before returning to form in game three for a rather noisy 26-24, 25-23, 25-18 Region D first-round tournament triumph.

“We let them play their style of ball,” stated Gate City coach Amy Reed. “We didn’t play well tonight. Mentally, though, we did a good job, because we could have cracked under pressure. Our girls
stayed together and fought through adversity – and survived at the end.”

A combination of an aggressive Powell Valley front line, along with the inability of Gate City to effectively put forth a plausible serve-receive game, put the visitors in line for first blood – leading for much of
game one. And despite a Gate City surge to take a 22-20 edge, three definitive points from the Vikings (18-6), including a block and a dink from dominating hitter Tasha Trent (13 kills, eight digs, three
blocks) swung momentum back towards the Wise County crew.

“We were trying to pick them apart in places – but still serve aggressively,” said Powell Valley coach Kim Moore. “If you can mess up Gate City’s offense, that’s the key. We also tried to hit some to their setter to take her out of the offense, plus we tried to hit to their deep corners too. We were just trying to be smart.”

Another Trent kill, this one directly into the teeth of the Gate City defense, a short time later put Powell Valley on the cusp of a dramatic game one victory. In fact, Trent was later set up in perfect position
by teammate Cassie Sturgill (26 assists, seven digs, five aces) as she went up for a game-clinching kill at 24-23.

However, Trent’s cross-court clincher went six inches wide, giving the balanced crowd a short-lived tie. That tie ended a short time later, as a crucial dink from Gate City’s Ashton Dougherty and an uncontested ace from teammate Sydnee Snapp – who delivered six aces – were two bitter pills to swallow for the tempo-setting Vikings.

“I thought we had a shot at it,” Moore admitted. “We were playing well with them. It just seems like sometimes we remember who we are playing – and we kind of let that creep in at times. And when doubt creeps in, that hurts you.”

Trailing 7-2 to begin game two, Powell Valley eventually reeled off five straight behind the dictating hitting of Trent – along with back-to-back aces from Sturgill – to go ahead 17-13. But the Blue Devils (20-1), down 21-20, received a critical kill from Brittany Simpson (eight kills), while two costly Viking errors put the hosts in front for good.

Santana Bishop subsequently smacked her kill off the Powell Valley front line to give Gate City a 2-0 match advantage.

The final game had little, if any, drama, as the Blue Devils bolted out to a 12-4 lead and were never seriously threatened. While Dougherty and Erica Fugate each blasted out 10 kills for Gate City, teammate Lindsey Burke also supplied eight kills.

Kaylla Holdway finished with 12 kills and 12 digs for the Vikings, while teammate Taylor Legg chipped in five digs and three aces.

The focus for the defending Group A state champion now shifts to Council Elementary School, as a Region D semifinal contest against Coeburn – also a three-game winner Monday – looms tonight.

Reed, meanwhile, certainly hopes that Monday’s inconsistent performance has already been worked out of the collective Blue Devil system.

“We’ve got to do a better job taking control of the back row with our defensive players,” added Reed. “We are an offensive team, but the only way our offense runs is because of our defense. We’ve got to pick it up.

“I guess [we] had our day off today. Hopefully, we’ll get back on track.”