In their first of two summer tournaments this preseason, the W.S. Neal Lady Eagles went 2-4 in their six games Tuesday and Wednesday at Jay.
In Tuesday’s games in Jay, W.S. Neal went 2-1. The Lady Eagles opened tournament play with a 2-1 win over Escambia Academy and followed the win with a 2-1 win over Baker JV. In their third and final game Tuesday, W.S. Neal lost to Jay 2-1.
In Wednesday’s games, W.S. Neal lost to Pace 2-0, La Vida 2-0 and Flomaton 2-0. Against Pace, W.S. Neal lost 25-14 and 25-10. Against La Vida, the Lady Eagles lost 25-14 and 25-14. In their tournament finale against Flomaton, W.S. Neal lost 25-23 and 25-22.
“First, I would like to thank coach Scott Campbell and Jay High School for inviting us to their summer camp,” W.S. Neal Lady Eagle head coach Jason Blaney said. “It was done very well. There was great competition from every team there and we held our own. We won our first two matches versus Escambia Academy and Baker JV in three sets and then lost to Jay in three sets on day one. We played Pace and La Vida first on day two and I really think our girls stepped up and gave those teams great competition. In our last match we loss to a very good Flomaton team.”
Blaney said even in his team’s losses, he saw tremendous improvement in each game. “The girls are still getting used to playing with each other and getting used to my coaching,” Blaney said. “They really came together as a team throughout the tournament. The camp helped show us what we need to work on, and we got plenty of time to keep working which is what we will be doing.”
Blaney said his team will play at Flomaton’s Summer Tournament this coming week and start practice on Monday, August 5—the first day of official practice, which is set by the ASHAA.
“I am very excited for our season from what I saw over the last couple of days and I know the girls are excited as well,” Blaney said. “I would give stats individually, but as a whole, we played well. I was extremely proud of how these girls played and again, excited for the upcoming season.”
W.S. Neal will begin their 2013 under first-year head coach Blaney on Thursday, Aug. 29, at Flomaton.
W.S. Neal’s 2013 volleyball roster will see 10 players on it with two seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen.
Jasmine Crook and Tiffany Sawyer will be the two seniors while Jodi Busby and Tykeria Nolan will be the junior players. Karissa Johnson, Emily Ann Cooper and Madison Winchester will be the three sophomores while Haleigh Dubose, Mee Mee Lawson and Dinah Samuel will be the three freshmen.
Wednesday: Pace 2, WSN 0
In their first game Wednesday, W.S. Neal lost to Pace 25-14 and 25-10. In set one, Tiffany Sawyer had two service points with one being an ace while Haleigh Dubose had one and Madison Winchester had a kill. Jodi Busby had three service points.
In set two, Busby had two kills, one block and two service points. Jasmine Crook had a kill and one ace while Dubose had an ace. Emily Ann Cooper had a kill along with Dinah Samuel.
Wednesday: La Vida 2,
WSN 0
Against La Vida, a home school team from Milton, W.S. Neal lost 25-14 in set one and 25-14 in set two.
In set one, Sawyer had two service points and one ace while Tykeria Nolan had a kill. Crook had two service points and three kills. Busby had one kill.
In set two, Crook had one kill and one block while Lawson had two service points. Sawyer had a kill and one service points while Busby had two.
Wednesday: Flomaton 2, WSN 0
Against Flomaton, W.S. Neal let a 21-19 in set one and set two slip away as the Lady Hurricanes defeated the Lady Eagles 25-23 in set one and 25-22 in set two.
In set one, Busby had four kills and one service point. Samuel had one kill while Nolan had two service points.
Crook had a kill, four service points and one ace while Cooper had a kill.
Dubose had two service points with both being aces and Sawyer had two points, one ace, and one kill.
In set two, Busby had three kills and two service points while Crook had four kills and an ace.
Nolan had two points and Sawyer had one kill, one block and one ace.
Dubose had two aces while Lawson had one service point.