Volleyball team dominates Bluefield College

by Ericka Simpson
Assistant editor

Bryan College’s volleyball team traveled to Bluefield (Va.) College on Sept. 11 and dominated the Eagles on their own court, winning 3-1.

Coach Leo Sayles said that, going into the game the team was focusing on playing together and getting its lineup settled. Before this weekend, they had struggled to finish matches and sustain their effort throughout the matches.

Up quickly 2-0, the team dropped the third match because Sayles subbed in other players to give them experience on the court.

“Losing on someone else’s floor gives them confidence and makes the fourth match harder,” Sayles said. “But it just looked like we kicked into a different gear and pulled away–we just ran away with the match.”

Key players in the game were senior Alison Young, who had a better hitting match, freshman middleback Carolyn Evans, who had 10 kills, and junior defensive specialist Jessica Jones, who filled in for junior libero Courtney Cotter when she hurt her wrist.

Sayles said that Jones really “stepped up” and played the best game he has ever seen her play at Bryan.

“We’re finally starting to find our identity and click on the court,” Jones said. “Coach has been telling us that we need to find a fire, and we are starting to find that spark, which has elevated our level of play.”

The Lions will be hosting Union College (Barbourville, Ky.) on Friday.

Jones said that she is excited to finally be playing at home.

“We miss our fans,” she said. “They might be where our extra spark comes from.”