The Person High School varsity volleyball team’s woes continued Thursday evening at home, as it lost to Western Alamance, 25-17, 25-21, 25-19, for its third consecutive defeat.
Thursday was the first time Western (6-7, 3-2) downed Person (2-7, 1-4) in 11 tries.
Rockets’ head coach Amanda Ramirez, encouraged by her players’ progression from a four-set loss at Eastern Alamance two days prior, highlighted how simple errors hurt her team’s chances to win on Thursday.
“I think what really put Western ahead of us is, at times, it seemed like our lack of experience really shined,” Ramirez said. “That’s when our focus and discipline starts to drop. We showed spurts tonight where it looked cohesive. The passing was significantly better than Tuesday. Now, our job is really making sure we keep focus throughout the game. We’re doing a good job going neck-and-neck with people, but we’re not finishing. That’s where we start to have that lack of focus and discipline.”
Person kept things close in the first set, tying Western (6-7, 3-2) on three separate occasions (6-6, 8-8, 11-11).
Ten Rocket errors then helped the Warriors take set one.
Person played its best volleyball in the second, holding a four-point lead (6-2) at one point, courtesy of a pair of Miriam Clayton kills, a Mariana Clayton service ace and a trio of Western errors.
The Rockets led as late as 19-18 in the frame, after the Warriors’ eighth and final mishap of the set, only to be undone by five errors and a pair of Ella Kate Henderson kills.
Person kept the game close early in the third – Miriam Clayton slammed down two of her five kills, while Hollyn Chandler served up a pair of aces.
Western then roared ahead with three more Henderson kills, minimal errors and strong defense.
Its 8-6 lead quickly turned into a four-point advantage, forcing Ramirez to call a timeout.
The Rockets never led in the set and got as close as two (16-14) later on, when Kaylie Parker mashed one of her five kills.
“Our lack of focus and discipline happens at the most inopportune moments,” Ramirez said. “Western just seemed to stay hungry as a team and keep the ball going. They had some really strong hitters. Henderson did a really good job of banging away. Avery Elmore in the middle, she was pretty successful at times until Kaylie woke up.”
Henderson created problems for Person’s defense throughout the night, slamming down a team-high 16 kills.
She finished off four attacks in the first, then added six apiece in the second and third sets.
“She was getting up and swinging at times when our block wasn’t there,” Ramirez said of Henderson. “That’s when our defense was in disarray, because the object is to make sure you’re not behind the block, you’re in the defensive hole instead. When you’ve got multiple holes, that’s very difficult. When you’ve got a good hitter that’s able to get the ball down, that is difficult to defend.”
Ramirez highlighted Parker as a major reason Person stayed in the game.
Parker’s lone block closed the Rockets’ deficit to 17-16 in the second, while her five kills tied for a team-high with Clayton.
“She was doing a good job staying behind the setter, so she was able to get a full-out swing,” Ramirez said. “I think she had Hollyn for two rotations and Jadyn for one. But I really think the blocking is what turned it around for us.”
Person has a tough stretch coming up – at reigning 3A state champion Cedar Ridge tonight, against 2A power Falls Lake at 6:15 p.m. tomorrow before facing undefeated Bartlett Yancey Monday at 6:15 p.m.
If the Rockets can fix their mistakes from Thursday night, particularly letting late leads disappear, Ramirez likes her teams chances to finish the season strong.
Person’s remaining conference games are against Northwood (1-10, 0-5), who it swept on Sept. 6, at Orange, who it played close in a three-set loss on Sept. 8, then winnable matches at Eastern Alamance (Oct. 6), Western (Oct. 11) and Oct. 13’s season-finale against Williams.
“We fix the little things and we’re going to be back at the top of the conference,” Ramirez said. “But it’s just fixing those little things and finishing in a game, instead of going neck-and-neck to 17 then slowly fizzling out at the end.”
PHS loses five-set heartbreaker
The Rockets appeared well on their way to their first win in two weeks Tuesday night in Burlington, as they took the first two sets from Walter M. Williams.
The host Bulldogs, however, fought their way back to down Person in five sets, 23-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-11.
PHS (2-8, 1-5) is in the midst of a four-game slide, its longest of the season. The Rockets travel to reigning 3A champions Cedar Ridge today for a 6:30 p.m. opening serve.
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