Menu
Eels sweep Lighthouse Christian to close regular season
It’s been an up and down type of season for Clay City’s volleyball team this fall.
The Lady Eels never won more than two games in a row but also never lost more than three in a row while alternating wins and losses nine different times, signifying the rollercoaster ride they’ve been on since August.
That made Thursday night’s 3-0 win over Lighthouse Christian Academy, which put a cap on the regular season for Clay City, a welcomed sight inside the home locker room, said head coach Asie Jeffers.
“That was the best they’ve played this year,” said Jeffers. “We’ve really been working on making sure our errors don’t rack up. We’ve used a three-run rule, and that was the best they’ve held to that all season long.”
Jeffers pointed to the strong communication her group used as well as the confidence in which they played with throughout the night as areas that stood out to her.
What caused the positive change for the Eels? Jeffers couldn’t put her finger on one specific thing, although she noted things have taken a turn for the better recently, and it’s led to Clay City playing some of its best volleyball of the year.
“We’ve talked a lot about accountability, and I think the fact that their season is coming to an end, they’re motivated more than ever to do it,” Jeffers said. “We’ve done the work and we’ve done the practice. We know they can play really, really well. Now, it’s time to show everybody that while working hard and working together to do it.”
Clay City possessed the lead for all but five points in the three-set sweep. A big reason for that was its dominance at the net.
The trio of Emma Baumgartner (13 kills and one block), Lillian Dewey (seven kills and four blocks) and Mallori Bettenbrock (six kills) combined for 84 percent of the team’s kills on Thursday, and in doing so, kept the momentum squarely on its sideline by adding some juice to the already-energized Eel Dome.
“That was the type of offense we’ve been wanting to see,” said Jeffers of the 31-kill night by her team. “Sometimes, our team likes to focus on one hitter and not utilize our whole front row. When we actually utilize the front row, it definitely changes the game because the opponent doesn’t know who’s hitting it. I’m proud of them for doing that tonight.”
With the regular season now in the rearview mirror for the Eels, they’ll now look ahead to the start of sectional play on Thursday at White River Valley. Clay City will be matched up with North Central, a two-win team that enters the tournament riding a six-game losing streak. And while the Eels will certainly be viewed by most as the heavy favorite to advance onto Saturday’s semifinal, Jeffers said she’s already cautioned her team not to take anything for granted when everyone’s season is on the line.
“In sectionals, you can’t ever count anybody out. It’s a whole new ball game,” said Jeffers. “I’m hoping that we keep riding the recent positives and keep going. We want to play North Central similarly to how we played tonight with the hope of getting to the next round against Shakamak.”