Oxford slams season-high 15 kills as Lady Eagles fly high
By Robert Morgan | Published Sunday, August 31, 2008
Decatur head volleyball coach Claire Rose said a small miscue in the starting rotation of game one Tuesday night against Brock cost her team a victory. The second-year coach made a quick adjustment after the loss, and the Lady Eagles never looked back as they rocked Brock three straight for the victory, 16-25, 25-14, 25-22, 25-11.
"That was kinda my fault there," Rose said with a smile. "We played like the team I know we have after that first game. I'm really liking the way the team is progressing now."
Decatur, now 3-3 on the season, was to get its biggest test of the year this weekend at the Arlington Invitational. It's a big school tournament that showcases some of the top 5A teams in the state. DHS was the only 3A squad in the tourney.
As for the showdown with Brock, the Lady Eagles got off to a rough start in the opening game. A handful of errors allowed the host to lead from start to finish.
Game two, however, was nothing like the first. Sophomore Sara Oxford and Vanessa Varela put up on the BHS defense with an onslaught of kills to make it a quick game while evening the match at 1-1.
Oxford, who finished with a season-high 15 kills, never let up against Brock. She continued to pound away at the defense in the third game.
The Lady Eagles, who also got five kills each from Fleming Smurthwaite and Varela for the night, traded leads in the game as it was the closest of the match. Kourtney Tompkins and Katie Stapleton also had four kills each to lead the balanced attack.
The Lady Eagles also needed some crucial defensive stops to fight off the hosts. That's where libero Sami Parker made her presence felt as she racked up a team high 11 digs. Carmen Cash also helped keep BHS at bay with eight digs of her own, just two more than Smurthwaite and Tompkins with six each.
Varela, who has dominated at the net this season, was back at it again in this match as she stuffed six Brock hits for points. Mindy Burkhart, Stapleton, Oxford and Tompkins also recorded blocks which paved the way for a win.
Decatur made it clear that a three-point win in game three was no fluke. The group routed Brock in game four which only last 15 minutes. Victoria Wallace and Sidney Lawrence did a little bit of everything to put the match away in a hurry.
Smurthwaite was the quarterback of the offense as she scattered 15 assists in four games. It was a total team effort that left Rose with a big smile.
"We played together as a team, and each person stepped into their role," she said. "We made a couple of mental errors but rallied back to pull off a great win going into the Arlington Invitational."
