Oxford tallies 19 digs,14 kills in leading Decatur upset over Henrietta
By Robert Morgan | Published Sunday, September 7, 2008
Decatur head volleyball coach Claire Rose knew her team would take its share of lumps at last weekend's Arlington Invitational, an event loaded with 5A powerhouses. That's exactly what happened as the locals lost out in pool play before notching some wins in the lower bracket action.
The stiff competition, however, better prepared the Lady Eagles for Tuesday night's match-up at state-ranked Henrietta. Rose's squad delivered a solid performance both offensively and defensively to beat the No. 4 team in Class 2A on the road in four games 25-21, 25-20, 18-25, 25-21.
The Lady Eagles were able to conquer a stellar defense thanks to one of their most balanced offensive efforts of the season. Seven players recorded kills in the match as shots were fired from every direction and forced the hosts to play more defense than they're used to.
Decatur made one too many mistakes in the third game and Henrietta made the most of it. The state-ranked foes jumped in front and never let up to get the win and avoid the sweep.
The Lady Eagles, however, were not fazed. Much like the first two games, they found a way to consistently deny the Bearcat hitters to win three games that were decided by five points or less.
"We definitely came back after a tough weekend at the Arlington Invitational tournament which we knew would be tough but bring great competition," Rose said. "But against Henrietta, the girls beat a great team. Henrietta was tough and put up a good fight, but we played as a team and we played well. I'm very proud of the girls."
The blistering offensive attack was led by 2007 Newcomer of the Year Sara Oxford. The sophomore proved she is better than most veterans as she blistered the HHS defense for a match- and season-high 19 kills.
Fleming Smurthwaite, the team's featured setter, also got into the hitting action as she drilled eight into the heart of the defense. Kourtney Tompkins, Vanessa Varela and Mindy Burkhart slammed five kills each and Ingrid Boatman and Victoria Wallace had one each.
Henrietta struggled to contain the offense because of the distribution of the setters. Smurthwaite set the ball in many locations to rack up 25 assists. Sydney Lawrence assisted on 15 other occasions to help maintain the momentum.
The Bearcats are the fourth ranked team in the state likely because of their aggressive offense. That's why Decatur needed a spectacular showing on defense to be in position for an upset.
That's exactly what happened. Oxford, who was one of nine players to record digs in the match, cleaned the back row with 14 digs on the night. She also stuffed five Bearcats at the net to lead all blockers.
Sami Parker, who is arguably one of the top liberos in the area, did not let much get past her either as she tallied 11 digs. Carmen Cash and Wallace covered a lot of floor as well as they dug eight attacks each.
Lawrence was fourth in digs for the Lady Eagles as she posted six of her own, two more than Smurthwaite with four. Burkhart, Tompkins and Stapleton combined for 10 more digs in the defensive showcase.
