A consistent Fort Mill girls volleyball team was able to sweep the Rock Hill Bearcats for a key Region 2-5A win.
Fort Mill won 3-0 by identical scores of 25-19 and are now 9-4 overall and 2-1 in the region.
“I feel like we are where we need to be,” said Fort Mill girls’ volleyball coach Erin Kayton. “This was big. I think we had the most energy we have had. We needed the push going into the rest of the region. Everyone played well all the way around.”
Both teams started evenly matched, but Fort Mill took a 3-3 tie and scored four straight points to go up 7-3 in the opening set.
Rock Hill rallied to tie the set at 11, but the Jackets jumped ahead 14-12 forcing Rock Hill to take a timeout.
The Bearcats stayed close and neither team was able to get any momentum. After being tied at 17, Fort Mill went on a run scoring six consecutive points to take a 23-17 lead before closing the set out.
Up 1-0, the Jackets again started fast scoring six of the first eight points in the second set.
Fort Mill was strong at the net with their blocks and started racking up kills to go up 14-6. The Jackets kept things going in its direction after a Bearcats timeout.
Rock Hill did go on a small scoring streak to pull within five at 23-18, but wasn’t able to complete the comeback.
The Jackets opened the third set scoring the first six points in the set. Fort Mill kept their energy going and pushed the score to 11-4 as Rock Hill struggled to find an answer, but once they did, were able to make a run pulling within one at 12-11.
Fort Mill’s play at the net gave them the advantage allowing them to widen the gap and keep the lead. Despite the advantage, the Jackets had to say on its toes in the third set as the Bearcats pulled within five.
The Jackets found another gear to close out the set of another identical 25-19 score.
Sept. 17 Roundup
The Fort Mill boys’ volleyball team fell to Rock Hill 3-1 and dropped to 5-9 overall on the season and 1-2 in Region 2-5A.
The Nation Ford girls’ volleyball team beat Legion Collegiate Academy 3-2 (25-20, 25-21, 17-25, 23-25, 15-11) to improve to 14-2 overall on the season and 6-0 in Region 3-4A play.
The Catawba Ridge boys’ volleyball team swept Lake Wylie 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-18) to improve to 11-5 overall and 2-2 in Region 3-4A.
The Fort Mill girls’ tennis team beat Rock Hill 4-2 to improve to 7-1 on the season and 3-1 in Region 2-5A. Winning for the Jackets was Abhi NallaReddy 6-0, 6-2; Avalon Stevens 3-6, 6-3, 10-7; Siona Soman 6-0, 6-3 and Ellie Corbett and Evie Dyer 6-1, 6-1 in doubles.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
