Prescott South tops WCMS
Maebry Yates and Lyvia Wilson, pictured in a previous home game, were battling against Prescott Tuesday night.
The Lady Pioneers have made huge strides all season on the court, but a visit to Cookeville Tuesday night showed just how far there is left to go to keep up with the best programs in the midstate.
It also showed Warren County Middle School isn't backing down from the challenge.
The Lady Pioneers hit the floor over and over Tuesday, scrambling after attacks, extending rallies and doing everything possible to stay in points against Prescott South. The effort wasn't always enough to show up on the scoreboard as WCMS fell 25-12, 25-17, but it was another indication of a program beginning to close the gap through sheer willingness to battle.
That's particularly important against Cookeville-area programs, which have long benefited from a year-round volleyball culture that is still developing in Warren County. The Lady Pioneers may not have all those years of experience yet, but coach Bethany Mesaros continues to see a group willing to work toward it.
"Defensively, I thought we did a good job of keeping ourselves in plays and fighting for balls, but we struggled to turn those defensive opportunities into points," said Mesaros. "We had several chances to attack and put pressure on the other side, but we weren't able to consistently capitalize on those opportunities."
Lyvia Wilson was again in the middle of seemingly every scramble on the back row. The WCMS libero finished with eight digs, while Maebry Yates added four.
Warren County also challenged Prescott South at the net. Khloe Howell finished with three blocks and Ellie Dixon added two, but there were also moments when the Lady Pioneers' aggression worked against them.
"One of our biggest struggles tonight was staying out of the net," said Mesaros. "Those are points we have to learn to eliminate because they are mistakes we can control. Our blocking was also inconsistent, and we need to do a better job of being disciplined at the net and making adjustments as the match progresses."
Dixon led Warren County offensively with four kills, while Yates added two. Howell and Fallon Youngblood each had one kill, with Youngblood also handing out a team-high six assists.
Wilson and Dixon recorded one ace apiece.
The loss was Warren County's second in as many nights following a six-match winning streak, dropping the Lady Pioneers to 9-4 overall. Still, Mesaros isn't looking at the last two matches as reason to abandon what has helped WCMS make significant strides this season.
"There are definitely things we need to clean up, but that's part of the process," said Mesaros. "We'll continue to work on our communication, net discipline, blocking and offensive execution so that when those opportunities come again, we're prepared to capitalize on them. I'm proud of the effort the girls continued to give, and we'll use tonight as another opportunity to learn, improve and get better together."
