By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
In Tuesday’s season-opening volleyball tri-match at Cabot’s Panther Arena, the host Lady Panthers dominated the competition to start 2013, while Lonoke finished the tri-match 1-1, and Jacksonville 0-2.
The Lady Panthers remained unbeaten with a 3-1 win at Batesville on Thursday. Cabot won by scores of 25-21, 16-25, 27-25 and 25-21.
In Tuesday’s tri-match, Cabot and Jacksonville played the first set of games and the Lady Panthers started strong, beating the visiting Lady Red Devils 25-8 in the first game and 25-11 in the second to win the match in two games. Jacksonville stayed on the floor to face class 4A Lonoke in the next set of games and continued to struggle as the Lady Jackrabbits dominated the first game 25-8.
Lonoke looked as if it might run away early in game two after taking a 3-0 lead thanks to three-straight aces by sophomore Jarrelyn McCall, but the Lady Devils battled back to win the second game by a convincing 25-16 margin.
In the third and final game, Lonoke scored the first four points and played more like it did in the first game of the match en route to a 25-10 win. Even though Jacksonville lost both matches, head coach Kendra Sauheaver was pleased to see her young team, which consists mostly of sophomores and juniors, come together and win one of the three games against Lonoke.
“In the second game they really pulled together,” said Sauheaver. “They did everything they were supposed to do and it just all kind of fell into place. In the third game, I have no idea what happened there, but we’re going to take a look at the film and see where we need to cover up.”
In the match against Jacksonville, McCall and junior hitter Eboni Willis led all players with a match-high five kills each. McCall also finished those three games played with 13 total aces from the serving line. In that time, junior setter Charley Jo Chesney led all players with 13 assists.
For Jacksonville, sophomore Emily Lovercheck led the team with two kills and junior Taylor Hayden had a match-high five digs.
Lonoke stayed on the floor for the final match of the evening against the Lady Panthers, and the time off in between games had no negative effect on the host team as Cabot won the first game 25-12 and the second game 25-13. Of Cabot’s 19 players, only six are seniors, but five of those seniors have been starters for the Lady Panther volleyball program since their sophomore year.
The six seniors, Lakin Best, Bailee Uhiren, Taylor Bitely, Kaitlyn Pitman, Becca Moffett and Raven Gilbert, each played solid throughout the entirety of both matches, and head coach DeAnna Campbell couldn’t be more proud of the way her veterans have led the team on and off the court.
“Five of these six seniors have started on varsity since they were sophomores,” said Campbell. “Two years ago when I took the job I started them because they were talented and they were go-getters. I told them then ‘you’re young and you’re going to take your licks this year, but hang in there and work hard and some day you’re going to be the old kids,’ and now they are.
“Those kids have waited so long for this and they’ve worked so hard and they’ve been through so much that any win we get they’re going to value it. They are one of the best groups of kids as far as attitude and work ethic. The six seniors are all leaders because they’ve been together for so long and they can lead together. As long as they can keep that going they’re going to do a lot of good things this year.”
Bitely led all players in the match against Lonoke with five kills. She also had four aces and two digs. Uhiren, Best and Pitman each had three kills. Best added five assists and two aces in the final match. Uhiren led all players with eight assists in the two games played. Gilbert totaled four aces, one kill and one assist in that time, and Moffett had three digs.
Cabot and Batesville battled tooth and nail the entire match on Thursday. Campbell said it was one of the most exciting matches she’s coached.
“That game was a war,” Campbell said. “It was a huge match for us both physically and mentally. I was very proud of how both teams went all out, all the time. It was great volleyball and it was exciting to be a part of that.”