Logan Volleyball Goes 3-1 in Lincoln Land Invitational
Despite a close 5 set loss to the host Lincoln Land Loggers (#16 NJCAA Ranking), the Lady Vols had a very productive weekend overall.
On Friday evening the Vols won a four set match over Allen CC (Kansas) 25-12, 25-9, 18-25, 25-14. "The first two games we played some of the best offense we have executed all season. We were running some different plays and really diversifying our attack. In the third set, we let down a bit, but Allen also made some significant adjustments to their lineup which seemed to really wake them up. Still, we recovered quickly to take the 4th game and end the match on a high note," said Coach Burnside.
Saturday promised to be a long day, with 3 matches scheduled from 9am-6pm. With a limited number of bodies due to a variety of injuries, the day was definitely going to be a challenge. The Vols started the day off with a 25-15, 25-16, 25-22 victory over Sauk Valley. This was the first action for Freshman Kameryn Sillmon coming off of a back injury, and she played well with 5 kills on 6 attempts.
The second match of the day was a victory over Frontier College out of Fairfield, IL. The Vols upended the Bobcats 25-15, 25-12, 25-20. Freshman outside hitter Olivia Hallet led the team with 9 kills in the match. Overall, the team hit .279 for the match. One of the highest team efficiencies of the season. "The offense was very balanced. It was impossible for their blockers to key on any of our hitters because our setters were utilizing every one of our hitters," said Coach.
In the final match of the tournament, the vols faced tournament host Lincoln Land. In a very tight match, the Vols were unable to overcome the Loggers. The Vols lost 23-25, 25-16, 25-18, 20-25, 10-15. "There was definitely a point in the match where we had the momentum and felt like we could close them out, but it wasn't to be. Their team is ranked #16 for a reason, and they fought to turn the match around in the 4th set. Our defense, which had been very effective up until that point, lost just a little bit of focus. It was enough to let them back in the match and we were never able to recover the advantage," said Coach.
Over the weekend, everyone on the roster made contributions, but a few stood out. Sophomore Taytum Murdock led the team with 5 Aces and also had 60 assists. Sophomore Shelbey Saye led the team with 81 assists. Freshman Libero Alanis Below contributed a team high 50 digs. Kim Hall had another outstanding all-around performance and led the team with 38 kills. She also made 38 digs, 4 aces, and 4 blocks. Olivia Hallet also made important contributions with 36 kills and 38 digs. Freshman Bryleigh Buchanan from Harrisburg had a very solid tournament hitting from all over the court. She finished with 33 kills and 4 blocks.
Freshman middle hitter Kameryn Sillmon, returning from a back injury had an excellent tournament considering her limited playing time. She compiled 18 kills without a single error, and hit .545 for the weekend. She also led the team in blocks with 12.