The Eads Lady Eagles may be young, but they showed in their season and home opener that there is plenty of athleticism, versatility and defensive grit to work with this fall.
Eads shook off a first-set loss and took control of an athletic Springfield Longhorns squad Friday, August 21, earning a 3-1 victory by set scores of 21-25, 25-16, 25-15 and 25-21.
With only one senior in the starting lineup and the Lady Eagles still adjusting to new roles on the floor, the opening-night performance provided plenty of reason for optimism. Eads steadily improved as the match progressed, winning three straight sets after Springfield grabbed the early advantage.
The Lady Eagles are learning to play without standout senior middle hitter Anna Wollert, whose absence leaves a major hole in the lineup. That adjustment will take time, but Saturday’s performance showed Eads has numerous athletes capable of stepping into larger roles.
Junior Aspen Nelson led the offensive attack with 13 kills while displaying the all-around versatility that should make her extremely valuable this season. Nelson was also outstanding defensively with 23 digs and stepped in as a setter when needed, finishing with eight assists.
Eads’ lone senior starter, Bailey Sierra, delivered a strong opening performance as well, pounding down nine kills and leading the Lady Eagles with 24 digs.
Sophomore Emma Wollert gave Eads a solid presence in the middle, finishing with six kills, two ace serves and three blocks. She was also busy in the back row, collecting 19 digs in an impressive all-around effort.
Junior Jordynn Turcotte handled much of the responsibility for running the Eads offense. The versatile setter and middle hitter distributed a team-high 16 assists while contributing 18 digs defensively.
The defensive numbers throughout the lineup were particularly impressive.
Right-side player Peyton Eder collected 16 digs, several of them coming on impressive saves that kept rallies alive. Feisty sophomore Aubrey Mitchek added two ace serves and made numerous defensive saves of her own.
Altogether, Eads piled up an impressive 111 digs, with contributions coming throughout the rotation. That ability to keep balls off the floor proved important against a Springfield team with plenty of athletes capable of putting pressure on a defense.
Springfield actually made things difficult for the Lady Eagles at the net, denying Eads hitters 24 times. But while the Longhorn block was effective, Eads continued to attack and eventually finished with a 34-27 advantage in kills.
Springfield was led offensively by junior Cobi Mackey, who finished with 11 kills. Her younger sister, sophomore Taylor Mackey, added six kills, while sophomore BriLynn Jackson contributed four kills and five blocks.
Senior Jaylee Mort gave the Longhorns a formidable presence in the middle, finishing with eight blocks while also producing three ace serves.
Despite Springfield’s 24 blocks, the Lady Eagles consistently found ways to extend rallies and put the ball back on the Longhorn side of the net. Springfield finished with only 25 digs compared to Eads’ 111, a major statistical difference that illustrated how much pressure the Lady Eagles’ offense and defense created throughout the match.
Eads also held a slight advantage from the service line, finishing with eight aces compared to seven for Springfield.
The Longhorns made the better start, taking the opening set 25-21, but Eads quickly responded.
The Lady Eagles controlled the second set, 25-16, to even the match and then turned in their most dominant stretch of the night in the third, rolling to a 25-15 victory for a 2-1 advantage.
Springfield battled in the fourth and stayed within striking distance, but Eads closed out the match with a 25-21 victory to complete the season-opening win.
For an Eads squad still learning how all the pieces fit together, it was an encouraging beginning. The Lady Eagles possess plenty of athletic ability, and Saturday’s defensive performance demonstrated a willingness to compete for every ball. With Nelson, Sierra, Turcotte and a promising group of sophomores filling significant roles, Eads should continue to improve as the players become more comfortable playing alongside one another.
The Lady Eagles won’t have much time to savor the opening victory as they now face a busy week with three straight road contests.
Eads travels to Genoa-Hugo on Tuesday, Aug. 25. The Pirates enter the contest 0-1 after dropping their opener to Cheraw in straight sets, 3-0.
The Lady Eagles then travel to Flagler on Friday, Aug. 28, where they will face a Panther squad that looked strong in its opener. Flagler swept Cheyenne Wells 3-0 and enters the week with a 1-0 record.
Eads will finish the three-match road swing Saturday, Aug. 29, with a trip to Evangelical Christian Academy.
Friday’s win over Springfield was only the first test of a long season, but for a young Lady Eagle team adjusting to new personnel and new responsibilities, a 3-1 victory over a quality Longhorn squad was a very good place to start.
