by Elizabeth Trautman
Polk County’s Lady Wolverines volleyball team won another big shutout against Avery County last week, remaining undefeated in conference play with the 3-0 win.
Coach Heather Claussen said she’s excited about the spark her team has shown.
“If we continue to play with the fire and enthusiasm they played with tonight, there’s no telling how far we can go,” Claussen said. “We are at the tail end of our conference play season and this is where we know we really have to push hard from here out.”
Hit after hit, it was evident that Avery was going to have a very tough night. Savanna Deaver, No. 7, and Katie Ruff, No. 3, were star players the first game, with aces back to back to back. Polk County led throughout the whole game, with a final score of 25-9.
By game two, the ladies were electric and the crowd was charged.
Chelsea Kelly, No. 10, and No. 4 Maggie Phipps displayed top-notch serving, with three and six aces served respectfully for the match. The Lady Wolverines did whatever it took to keep the ball in control with several breath-catching saves, as well as lots of stretching and diving. The Wolverines put the second game away 25-11.
In game three, Ruff dove for a quick save and then Kelly, No. 2 Rebecca Mitchell and Ruff nailed four spikes in a row.
By this point, the lady Wolverines had captured their audience and had the opposing team by their horns. No. 1 Kara Overholt then dinked one into a barren hole, bringing the score 14-4. The next 10 points from the Lady Wolverines were amazing to watch, as the ladies seemed to elevate to a different level of playing.
Savannah Deaver scored four more times, finding holes in Avery’s court and slamming them in, leaving Avery no chance to respond. She totaled an amazing 19 kills for the match. Makenzie White, No. 5, got a hold of some of the action, with an amazing save, keeping the ball going, resulting in a Polk County point. In the end, the Vikings went home with a 25-8 loss in the final game.
The smashing win moved the team up 128 spots in ranking for the nation and up four spots to No. 56 in the state.