Decatur sophomore outside hitter/right side hitter Ava Green racked up 22 of the team’s 44 kills in the fourth-ranked Lady Eagles’ District 7-4A home-opening sweep against No. 13 Springtown Tuesday at Decatur High School — 25-23, 26-24, 25-18. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
The Decatur Lady Eagles paid honor to their seniors prior to their District 7-4A ranked showdown against rival Springtown Tuesday, but it was one of the team’s youngest players that stole the show.
Having stepped up to lead Decatur’s offense in her second season, sophomore outside hitter/right side hitter Ava Green continued playing above her grade level. She swung for 22 kills — accounting for half of the team’s scoring hits — as the No. 4 Lady Eagles (26-3, 1-0) swept the 13th-ranked Lady Porcupines in the contentious matchup — 25-23, 26-24, 25-18.
“I’m just really grateful [Coach Stormi] Snider gives me the opportunity to play as much as I do,” Green said. “A lot of it has to do with last year’s team. I didn’t get to touch the court back then, and that was a good thing. I wasn’t ready mentally or physically. I gained a lot of confidence. The seniors last year were really good, and I was always stressed to mess up. But this year, it’s more freeing because we’re all having fun. We’re serious when we need to be, but for the most part, it’s a fun environment to be around. I think that helps everyone gain a little bit of confidence.”
Decatur freshman outside hitter/right side hitter Gracelyn Byford swings for a kill in a District 7-4A sweep against Springtown Tuesday at home. Byford finished with four kills, two digs and one block assist. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Snider praised Green for leading Decatur’s young offensive nucleus — which also includes sophomore middle blocker Sayler Peck (6 kills, 3 digs, 2.5 blocks, 1 assist), freshman outside hitter/right side hitter Gracelyn Byford (4 kills, 2 digs, 1 block assist) and freshman junior outside hitter/right side hitter Sydney Surratt (2 kills).
“The younger girls have all really stepped up big,” the coach said. “Just through tournament season and non-district play, I’ve had to stick people in different situations. By doing that, they’ve gotten more comfortable. They’ve realized that no one’s going to do it for them, and that if they don’t do it, who will?… Ava doesn’t have to get a kill every time, but she’s going to — that’s her mindset. It helps having other hitters around her because the blockers have to respect them and not just sit on her.”
Decatur sophomore middle blocker Sayler Peck swats a block against Springtown in the Lady Eagles’ District 7-4A opener Tuesday at home. Peck led Decatur’s defense at the net with 2.5 blocks. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Springtown started the match with a 4-1 advantage in the first frame, but Decatur battled back with a 3-0 attack and took the lead with powerful kill by Green. However, the Lady Eagles surrendered the lead, as the Lady Porcupines raced ahead with a 5-4 run thanks to a kill by Addy Burtnett and an ace by Brooklynn Quintanilla.
Springtown’s Libby Tedder, Olivia Williams and Natalia Del Valle served as the visitor’s offensive leader, firing kills to squash Decatur’s runs and forcing six ties late. Tied at 23, the Lady Eagles sparked a 2-0 run thanks to a Green kill and a Springtown infraction to earn the opening set.
“The girls came in focused. You always know it’s going to be a heated battle between Decatur and Springtown because it’s always a tough match,” Snider said. “There were a couple of little things that weren’t going our way, but they didn’t let that get them down mentally. “They turned it up a notch in other areas — our block was not the best tonight but our defense was able to work around and our offense produced, whereas in the past, our offense wasn’t producing but our block was making up for it.”
Decatur senior setter Grace Fortune serves the ball during the Lady Eagles’ District 7-4A Senior Night match against Springtown Tuesday at home. Fortune tallied 38 assists, 12 digs and one kill in the team’s win. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Fueled by strong hits from Tedder, Springtown’s largest lead in the second set was 4 points (20-16), but Decatur’s offense sparked an 8-4 run to force a tie at 24 thanks to several out-of-bounds hits and serves by the Lady Porcupines. A Springtown hit out and a running kill shot by Peck gave Decatur the 2-0 drive it needed to take a commanding 2-set lead.
Tied at 4, the Lady Eagles capitalized on Springtown’s miscues, as the Lady Porcupines swung for five straight out-of-bounds hits. Decatur rode the offensive momentum created by junior middle blocker Harper Smith, Green and Peck to close out the match with a 16-14 push.
Decatur’s setter duo of junior Lexie Miller and senior Grace Fortune served as Decatur’s defensive leaders. Miller led the squad in digs with 13, while Fortune added 12, along with 38 assists and one kill.
“The rivalry definitely brings a lot of nerves,” Miller said. “But once you settle in, it’s just a lot of fun and it’s cool to play in such a big rivalry with the crowd and everything. [Springtown runs] a fast offense, so you have to be quick on your feet and be able to react… We went for a lot of tip balls whenever they were out of system. Our serve-receive was really good, too. Even on Libby’s topspin serve, we were able to dig that and keep it on our side. On the float serves, we did a good job of getting them to target or make it a playable ball.”
Decatur junior setter Lexie Miller amassed 13 digs to lead the Lady Eagles’ defense in a District 7-4A home sweep against Springtown Tuesday. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
With the first league contest in the win column, Snider believes the Lady Eagles have what it takes to repeat as 7-4A champions in her second season on the sidelines.
“I think we’re capable of doing it,” she said. “We’re kind of learning as we go. Our defense and our offense are making adjustments. It’s not up to one person to get the job done — it’s up to everyone. They’re growing and maturing. We might not all be heavy hitters, but we’re able to hit shots and give our offense a chance with the back row. I really think it’s going to be a fun year.”
Decatur added three additional wins last week, defeating Grapevine 3-1 Sept. 5 and going 2-0 with victories against Peaster (3-1) and Argyle Liberty Christian (2-1) at the Showdown at Sundown, played at Liberty Christian’s Warrior Stadium Sept. 6.
The Lady Eagles will finish the week at home, hosting Castleberry in their second league contest 4:30 p.m. Friday.
The Decatur Lady Eagles (26-3, 1-0) celebrate after scoring the final point in a home sweep against District 7-4A rival Springtown Tuesday. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
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