Faulkner defeats Shorter in conference opener
Freshman outside hitter Neysa Hernandez cranks past the Hawks for a kill
September 2, 2008
Faulkner opened conference play Tuesday night at home with Shorter College. The Hawks entered the match at an unimpressive 0-3, but the defending SSAC tournament champs are more than capable of turning the tide against the even best programs, and the Eagles witnessed that in games two and three. Faulkner struggled in the middle, but took the match 25-11, 13-25, 28-26, 25-16 and moved to 4-1 on the year.
Freshman Abbie Melvin finds the line in Tuesday night's game
The Eagles sat in control after blistering the Hawks in game one, but succumbed to the game two delirium that has plagued the team so far this season. Faulkner was completely out of sync. The home team tried to regroup after the intermission and set out to secure the match with back-to-back wins in games three and four.
Junior middle Kimber Holt puts up a solo block at the net
Game three proved a difficult challenge for the Eagles, but Faulkner was able to pull out the win in the back and forth brawl. The final game was mostly down hill with the Eagles securing a marginal win.
Coach Bartels and the Eagles discuss the action in game three
“This was a great way to begin conference play,” said head coach Tori Bartels. “Shorter is a strong opponent and is picked to be among the top teams in the SSAC this year.” The Hawks are also among the nation’s top programs. The NAIA preseason poll has them in the receiving votes category, making them the second program in that category that the Eagles have defeated so far this season.
The discussion has effect, the Eagles took game three 28-26
Outside hitter Abbie Melvin had an outstanding match. The freshman had 13 kills with a .407 hitting percentage and added 14 digs. "We were hungry and ready to go tonight," said Melvin. "We had a slow game two, but it was a good home game and a big win for us."
Junior LaTanya Daniels is too fast for the Hawks on this kill late in game three
While Melvin produced the best hitting percentage it was junior middle Kimber Holt who led the team with kills. Holt edged out the freshman with 14 kills and hit .273.
Junior LaTanya Daniels had seven kills and freshman Neysa Hernandez added six more and two service aces. Junior right side hitter Samantha Talley also had six kills along with four blocks. Junior setter Shaleen Knight had 23 assists and 11 digs.
"We need to get beyond our mental block in game two of every match," said Bartels. "We have to be able to control the tempo for 75 points. We did a great job of getting out of some jams and defensively we were solid. But we still need to execute our offense better in the middle."
Abbie Melvin puts up a dig in the back row
The team’s season will continue to thicken as the Eagles travel to Mobile to take on the Rams this Thursday followed by a battle with conference titan Lee next week.
"Our team has a lot of strengths," Bartels added. "Over time we will grow to be a more solid unit. Right now it’s about staying focused and playing up to our potential."
Faulkner will take on the University of Mobile on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m.