Showing the defensive coverage and tenacity head coach Lisa Craig has said would be required for a successful season, the Eldorado Lady Eagles opened up the high school volleyball season with a 25-18, 25-18 victory on a muggy Tuesday night in Harrisburg’s Davenport Gym.
The Lady Eagles got off to a quick start in the first set, running off six straight points after falling behind 1-0, benefiting from a couple of net violations encurred by the Lady Bulldogs.
Another string of unforced errors and miscommunications on Harrisburg’s part gave Eldorado its biggest lead at 15-4, but Alexa Morgan stopped the bleeding with a stuff block, and Amy Phipps killed a long rally – which a couple of fantastic digs by the Lady Eagles kept alive – with a spike, bringing the Lady Bulldogs back within double digits at 15-6.
After a lone Eldorado point, Ally Twardowski threw down a powerful kill, starting a 6-0 run that included one more kill from Twardowski, and a pair by Phipps as well.
The run ended when Eldorado’s Caitlin Burnett set up Megan Lowe for a kill, and Burnett then followed with a pair of aces, helping the Lady Eagles to a 20-12 advantage.
Harrisburg got within six points on three occasions from that point out, but never closer.
The second set was a much closer affair, with no team leading by more than two points until a touch shot and back-to-back spikes by Arial Suits gave Harrisburg a 9-6 advantage.
Emily Cunningham stopped that spurt with a stuff block, then added an ace and another service point on a defensive mixup by Harrisburg that evened the score at 9-9. However, a couple of bad passes by the Lady Eagles and a spike by Harrisburg’s Logan Burroughs gave Harrisburg a three point advantage again, at 12-9.
Eldorado evened the score at 13 all, then ran off eight of the next 10 points, with the last of those points coming after a long rally, spurred by a big dig from Christine Dubble.
Harrisburg closed within four at two points thereafter, but Eldorado had an answer each time, the last coming on a finesse tip by Cunningham that three Lady Bulldogs touched, but none could put back into play. Eldorado scored the final three points of the set to sweep the match.
The Eldorado JV also proved victorious, though not without some drama. After taking the opening set by a convincing 25-13 margin, the hosts returned the favor with a 25-10 drubbing in the second match. In the rubber game, Eldorado held a 24-19 lead, then let Harrisburg rally within a point before finishing things off at 25-23.
Eldorado returns to action and starts conference play with a match next Monday at Vienna. Harrisburg, meanwhile gets back at it Thursday at Carrier Mills-Stonefort High School.
