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Bulldogs building momentum in tight-knit conference race

By Steve Winzenread | Independent Tribune

Published: September 24, 2009

CONCORD — The Jay M. Robinson volleyball team made the South Piedmont Conference race a four-team contest on Tuesday.
That's when Robinson handed Hickory Ridge its first league loss, dropping the Ragin' Bulls into a first-place tie with Mount Pleasant, and leaving Robinson and Concord tied for third, one game behind the leaders.
First-year Robinson coach Amber Handy said the Bulldogs could see that key win coming.
"We actually did," she said Thursday after Robinson swept A.L. Brown 25-5, 25-6, 25-10.
"We were primed and ready to go. We had played South Rowan hard. We played Butler hard. We probably should have won those games against Concord and Mount Pleasant, but we were making mental mistakes."
Now things have changed.
"This is a tight-knit conference," Handy said. "We're all so close in competition — Concord, Mount Pleasant, us and Hickory Ridge. It's like anybody could take first place right now. It's up for grabs."
Handy, who had been coaching softball at Robinson, dropped that job to be volleyball coach after Callie Phillips accepted a position at Johnson & Wales University as the head coach.
"I played volleyball in high school and club in college, so they asked me if I would be interested in coaching, so I said, 'Well, why not?'" Handy said. "It's a little bit different than softball."
Sometimes a team can be close to rising to the next level, then it happens. Robinson appears to be that kind of team.
"I know they had struggled a little bit last year," Handy said. "Just thinking that they couldn't do it. The girls are really excited this year. It seems like they have a lot more enthusiasm for the game.
"Our five seniors are great leaders. They've kind of picked everybody up. And even some of the juniors and our one sophomore have risen to the challenge. Some of them are playing a lot different positions than they did last year.
"They've each kind of taken that role and said, 'OK, we're making this the best team that we can this year. We're going out with a bang.'"
Against A.L. Brown, the Bulldogs (9-4, 6-2 SPC)) scored 17 of the final 18 points in game one, then 19 of the final 20 points in game two with Becky Durrett serving the final 14 points in a row.
The Wonders fell behind 15-2 in game three before putting some points up before the match ended on a serve into the net.
Durrett served for 18 points with 3 aces; Alex Kirk contributed 6 kills, 12 points, 3 aces and 2 blocks; Carolann Trammell had 8 kills; Tabby Koerner 7 kills; Madison Cline 5 kills; Mallory Harris 10 points and 9 assists; and Meagan Marock 13 assists.
Robinson plays at Concord on Tuesday in yet another significant SPC match.