Despite a slow start in the championship match, the Trinity Lady Raiders regrouped and never looked back as they won their first 3rd Region All “A” Classic title since 2017 Saturday afternoon at THS.
“It’s been a three-year drought,” Lady Raiders coach Daniel Morris said. “I am extremely excited to put a number 2020 up.”
It was a long morning for the Lady Raider volleyball program, as they beat Edmonson County 2-0 (25-21, 25-15) and McLean County 2-0 (25-11, 25-15) before making it to the championship match against the Lady Hornets of Hancock County.
Despite a rough start, Trinity took down the Hornets 2-0 (25-23, 25-21).
When the championship match was set to start, Morris admitted his team may have been a little excited and it showed on the scoreboard.
Hancock County started the set on a 5-0 run and then led 11-3 before the Lady Raiders started to mount its comeback.
“We finally decided to settle down,” he said. “We got all our emotions excited and obviously a championship game in a tournament, everybody’s emotions were a little off. We eventually started to settle in and we were doing what we were supposed to be doing.”
Morris said his team has to focus on each point and not get too far ahead or behind.
“We finally had to realize that we had to compete as a team,” he said. “We kind of settled in and relaxed a little bit. Hancock County is a great team. We just have to learn to compete on all points, all the way to 25.”
Morris said he wants the team to get used to playing multiple matches in a short period of time because they’ll have to do that as the Lady Raiders get further into the season.
“Conditioning,” he said was the key for Saturday. “Conditioning and strength. Since we were allowed to with all the COVID protocol, that’s what we’ve focused on this year.”
The Lady Raiders will now host the winner of the 4th Region, and the victor will go to Richmond.
Trinity ends its first week of the season with a record of 4-1 and Morris said that says a lot about the quality of players in the program.
“It tells everybody that we want to be here,” he said. “We compete. I have 15 girls, I can only put seven of them on the floor, but I have 15 girls that all of them want to compete. It is a great and total honor to do this with these girls and having all of their will to play the game and play it right.”
vs. Edmonson County (2-0)
Bailey Millay – 8 digs, Abby Payne – 1 ace, 4 digs, Josie Aull – 2 aces, 18 assists, 1 dig, Georgia Howard – 7 kills, 1 block, 1 dig, Jenna McDowell – 7 kills, 2 blocks, 1 assist, Hannah Nash – 1 ace, 10 kills, 1 block, Taylor Pedley – 2 aces, 13 digs, Kenzie McDowell – 1 kill, 3 assists, 1 dig, Corli Mills – 3 aces, 4 kills, 1 dig
vs. McLean County (2-0)
Bailey Millay – 2 aces, 4 digs, Josie Aull – 1 ace, 1 kill, 14 assists, 3 digs, Georgia Howard – 1 ace, 5 kills, 2 digs, Jenna McDowell – 4 kills, Hannah Nash – 7 kills, Taylor Pedley – 3 aces, 1 assist, 9 digs, Kenzie McDowell – 2 kills, Corli Mills – 3 aces, 1 dig
Championship Game vs. Hancock County (2-0)
Bailey Millay – 9 digs, Abby Payne – 1 assist, 11 digs, Josie Aull – 1 kill, 12 assists, 10 digs, Georgia Howard – 1 ace, 1 kill, 1 assist, 5 digs, Jenna McDowell – 4 kills, 1 block, Hannah Nash – 7 kills, 1 dig, Taylor Pedley – 3 aces, 2 assists, 13 digs, Kenzie McDowell – 5 kills, 1 block, 1 dig, Corli Mills – 1 ace, 4 dig
