Wilson starts second season off on right foot

GREENVILLE – Looking at the stat sheet and seeing only three kills next to her name, you could say it was a quiet night for Wilson Memorial’s Taijha Jones.

In the Riverheads gym, however, two of those kills resonated through the brick building like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. And they came at just the right time.

Jones, with her team behind 18-17 in Game 3 after a service error, slapped down back-to-back kills – including a hardwood pothole maker – to give the Green Hornets a 19-18 lead en route to a 25-21 win that secured the sweep and gave Wilson a district-opening win.

Jones, however, took no credit for her double-up string of kills that sealed the deal, using the word “we” when asked about her Game 3 play.

“We just pushed hard,” the senior said. “We did it, we needed it and pulled through.”

Team workhorse Kala Guy wasn’t as shy about Jones’ final-game heroics.

“She’s definitely stepped it up,” said Guy, who played with her sore right wrist still wrapped. “One-hundred percent.”

Wilson Memorial’s short game played havoc on the Gladiators all night, with several dinks and well-placed short serves falling for points, a turn of events that had Riverheads coach Whitney Dove shaking her a head a bit.

“[Wilson] saw the holes and found them and we couldn’t cover them for some reason,” she said. “I know we can play better than that.”

Wilson, having already won the first two games with identical scores of 25-18, jumped all over the Gladiators to start the third. Back-to-back aces by Christine Coffield – she would finish with three on the night – and a deftly placed kill by Tiffany Crosby allowed the Hornets a 4-0 lead right out of the gate. But it didn’t get any easier after that, with Riverheads (6-5, 0-1 Shenandoah) clawing back into the match, thanks to fierce frontline play from Tiffany Flesher.

The 5-foot-10 hitter placed a kill between three Green Hornets to cut the Game 3 lead to 6-4 and returned in the midst of an 8-3 Gladiator run with two straight kills – the final one falling right in front of Guy – that tied the game at 16.

Flesher accented her block one volley later with a fist pump and a banshee yell as she turned to the look at the scoreboard and saw it put the Gladiators up 17-16.

“She’s been keeping the team up,” Dove said. “[Flesher] got mad tonight and I think it helped her play better.”

A service error handed the lead back to Wilson, which returned the favor with a service error of its own that gave Riverheads the 18-17 lead in Game 3.

Enter Jones, her two big kills and a sweep – finished by a pair of kills from Guy’s still-sore arm – that pushed Wilson Memorial’s record to 8-2 overall and 1-0 in what is expected to be a snare-drum tight Shenandoah race — in which Jones is expected to play the role of X-factor.

“She’s been working hard,” said Wilson coach Kim Claytor. “Sometimes she gets a little scared and doesn’t want to hit the ball out. But now, she’s taking charge. She’s getting that confidence level up.”

Notes: Flesher finished the night with five kills, five blocks and five service points. … Riverheads Katie Coffey scooped up eight digs and Kristen Moody added four kills. … Guy led the way for Wilson with 16 kills. … Jones added nine digs to her stat line.