Navarre’s volleyballers blew away the Bay Tornados Wednesday in a four-set victory. They’re now 2-1 on the season.
Story by Near Post Sports
This is the Raiders’ best start – just three games in – since 2017.
Bay (1-2) travelled in from Panama City, and they rallied a few times against the Raiders. Their biggest gains came in the third set – already on the brink of getting swept – outscoring Navarre 6-1 to force a fourth set, 26-23. Bay rebounded again in the fourth set, fighting back from an 11-point deficit to pull to within six before falling 25-17.
“I knew they {Navarre) were going to be sound … and we fell back into some bad habits, and they caught us on them,” Tornado head coach Sierra Burris said. “Credit to them, no matter where we put our blocks, they were swinging around it. They did an excellent job switching up their offense no matter what we tried throwing at them defensively.”
Photo by Stu Camp © 2021
Bay’s Rikena McClennon rejected seven attacks at the net, and Aislyn White blocked six attacks – a tandem which more than doubled the Raiders’ team total on the night.
“They had some huge middles,” said senior hitter Reese Carroll, who scored four kills in the match. “So, you’ve got to look through the net, know where they are, and swing the opposite way.”
Navarre outside hitter Kyra McKelvey racked up 14 kills. Grace McAlister reached double-digits, as well.
“One thing I told them tonight is pay attention to where the block is,” Navarre head coach Ryan Davenport said. “They had one tall blocker … and just keeping it away from the tall blocker is smart offense.”
The Tornados offense was led by the Johnsons – Madison with a dozen kills, and Alexandra with 11.
Davenport is unwavering about the direction the team’s headed, especially with a tournament in Foley this weekend.
“We’re just continuing to learn. I feel really good about where we are right now,” he said before addressing the circumstances leading to Tornado rallies in the third and fourth sets. “At the end of the third set, we came up a bit little short. It was a great learning moment that we can grow on and get better on as a team. I still believe in every one of these players.”
In Foley, the team will face the Baldwin County Tigers (Bay Minette, Alabama) and the Hernando Tigers (Hernando, Mississippi). Navarre’s next local game is Tuesday at Pace.
Photo by Stu Camp © 2021
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