Cannon County sweeps Boyd in MS, HS matchups
Brit Ralph works to make a diving play for the Lady Broncos Monday night at home.
The wins haven't come yet, but the progress continues to show for the Boyd Lady Broncos.
Boyd dropped to 0-6 Monday night with a 25-14, 25-17, 25-17 loss to Cannon County at J.K. Stanley Gymnasium, but first-year coach Emily Davis walked away feeling like her young squad took another step in the right direction.
"I thought overall they played well. I saw more hustle and momentum out of them tonight," said Davis. "Even though we are not pulling out wins right now, they are improving every game, which is more important."
The Lady Broncos have been inching closer since the season began. They were swept by Franklin Road Christian on opening night, took their first set of the season the following night at Lancaster Christian and then pushed Riverside Christian all the way to five sets. Losses to Highland Rim and Franklin Classical followed before Monday's matchup with Cannon County.
Against the Lionettes, Boyd once again had stretches where its potential was evident.
Madi Noll provided one of the biggest sparks to start the second set. The sophomore stepped to the service line and delivered two aces as Boyd raced out to a quick 4-0 advantage, briefly putting Cannon County on its heels.
Noll continued to contribute throughout the match, finishing with two kills and a block. Elly Schoolfield led Boyd's attack with four kills and added a block of her own.
Freshman Aliyah Searight continued to make her presence felt defensively at the net as well. Searight finished with a team-high three blocks, another encouraging performance from a player who entered the season getting her first taste of high school volleyball.
Kariana Ferrell also gave Boyd a boost from the service line. The sophomore setter delivered a team-high four aces, while Noll and Brit Ralph finished with two each.
The contributions were spread throughout the lineup on the back row. Riley Turner led Boyd with three digs, while Ferrell, Ralph, Ally "Sassy" Shay and Brooke Jernigan recorded two apiece.
Getting production from different spots in the rotation is another positive for a team still trying to find the right combinations. Schoolfield provided the offense Monday, Searight continued to develop as a blocker, Ferrell made an impact serving and several Lady Broncos helped keep points alive defensively.
Sustaining those positive stretches continues to be the challenge.
As has often been the case during Boyd's winless start, inexperience can quickly stall promising rallies. Serving accuracy and serve receive remain two of the biggest areas the Lady Broncos are trying to clean up, with mistakes in both areas allowing opponents to create separation in matches that have often felt more competitive than the final scores indicate.
The difference Monday was that Boyd's effort rarely seemed to dip.
Even when Cannon County built leads, the Lady Broncos continued to battle, something Davis has emphasized as her team learns how to handle mistakes and momentum swings. With no seniors and several players either new to varsity volleyball or taking on much larger roles, Davis has continually stressed development over immediate results.
They can go for their next win Tuesday at Legacy Athletics. Action will start at 6 p.m.
Young Lady Broncos fall in three sets
Anna Long digs a ball for the Boyd Middle School team Monday night.
The Boyd Middle School Lady Broncos nearly picked up a victory of their own Monday, battling Cannon County to three sets before falling 25-18, 21-25 and 15-12.
After dropping the opener, Boyd responded with a 25-21 victory in the second to force a decisive set. The Lady Broncos stayed within striking distance in the third before Cannon County ultimately finished off the match.
Coach Kenny Chisam believes the next step for his squad is learning how to leave mistakes behind and focus on the next point.
"The girls fought hard tonight in a tough match. We lost the first set, battled back to win the second, but unfortunately fell short in the final set, 12-15," said Chisam. "The biggest thing right now is getting out of our own heads. The girls have to stop dwelling on the mistakes they made and focus on the next play. Volleyball is a game of short-term memory. You have to leave the mistake on the court and move on.
"We have to keep our heads in the game, trust one another and just play volleyball. Tonight was a tough loss, but there are things we can learn from it and improve on moving forward."
The Lady Broncos will have a quick turnaround, with both teams traveling to Murfreesboro Tuesday to face Legacy. Action will begin at 5 p.m.
