Eagles continue winning streak
Sept. 12, 2007
Montgomery, Ala. – After a strong finish at the Houghton Tournament in New York last weekend with a 4-1 record, the Eagles hoped to bring the positive energy back to their home court. The Faulkner volleyball team completed the tournament with three consecutive wins and were looking for their fourth in their home opener against Pensacola Christian College on Tuesday night. The Eagles had little difficulty in eliminating Pensacola in three games 30-17, 30-17, 30-19.
Lauren Middleton and Samantha Talley lead the offense with seven kills fed by SSAC Setter of the Week Shaleen Knight, who finished the evening with 20 assists. Scoring was abundant with hitters Kimber Holt, Marci Lobendahn and Alicia Romeo following suit with six kills each.
The Eagle defense was scrappy and was led by senior Carrie Butler, who was the SSAC and Region XIII libero of the week, with 15 digs. Holly Hutcheson and Lerin Hoback added another eight digs apiece.
“We played disciplined volleyball,” head coach Tori Bartels said. “We stayed focused throughout the match and executed our offense well.” The Eagles produced a .330 hitting percentage in the match, exceeding their season average of .210. “Our seniors continue to lead on the court and we’re seeing a lot of underclassmen stepping up and that’s a good thing,” Bartels added. “We are continuing to play well at the net and our defense in general is getting stronger and that has turned the tide in our program’s performance.”
On Sept. 1 the Eagles set at 1-4 on the season. Frustration and disappointment were evident as the team missed prime opportunities to capitalize on their opponent’s mistakes and finish matches with the same vigor they possessed when they began. The tide has indeed turned. The team has won seven of their last eight games, suffering only a single loss since the first of the month.
“We’re looking forward to starting conference play with rival Brewton-Parker,” said Bartels. “We’ve had a couple of good weeks and we’re ready to see how we stack up with our conference opponents.”
The Eagles will face Brewton-Parker College in Mt. Vernon, Georgia, on Monday, Sept. 17.