VOLLEYBALL: Smith, W’boro top TA

The Waynesboro volleyball team combined aggressive play at the net with crisp passing and a strong night at the service line to catch Turner Ashby off guard on Thursday night.

The Little Giants swept the Knights 25-16, 25-21, 25-19 five days after TA handed them their first loss of the season in a tournament.

“They have grown and meshed together,” said Waynesboro coach Lori Aleshire. “They have learned to talk to each other. Before they were hesitant and now they can push each other.”

Rachel Binda and Katie Doyle combined for 23 kills and kept pressure on the Turner Ashby defense for most of the night. Rachel Smith added to the strong offensive showing with five aces and was at the service line for 20 percent of the Little Giants’ points.

“It wasn’t just me,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t have been able to keep serving if it wasn’t for my teammates.”

Jolie Dudley also had an impressive night at the line, scoring 13 points for the Little Giants.

“I think they figured we did well in the tournament, we didn’t have to come out and play too hard and they just weren’t focused,” said TA coach Gina Troyer.

After walking through Game 1 with little problem, save a short hiccup early that gave TA an 8-5 lead, Waynesboro ran into trouble in Game 2. The Knights took a 12-8 lead after Jenny Anne Flory hit an ace and Waynesboro looked to have it’s back against the ropes.

The two teams exchange a battery of volleys, but a short tap by Smith threw the momentum back into Waynesboro’s favor, sparking a 5-0 run that knotted the game at 12.

After trading the lead with the Knights, a Binda block followed by a pair of TA miscues gave Waynesboro the 19-16 lead and it held on to it.

“We were down in the Spotswood game and we pushed back, so they new they could do that,” Aleshire said.

Boasting only nine juniors, complemented by a trio of seniors, the Little Giants have been working on team chemistry for the past two seasons. On Thursday, Aleshire said that the work paid off.

“They are getting older and playing their best and that’s just everyone playing as a team,” she said.

Troyer said that the Knights chemistry was to the other extreme.

“We did not play very well tonight,” she said. “We did not execute the skills of volleyball very well. We didn’t have anyone step up and try to get everyone else in it. It was just an off night for everyone.”

Waynesboro (5-2) will begin its Southern Valley schedule next week, with two road matches. On Tuesday, Waynesboro will travel to Stuarts Draft and will take on new district member Wilson Memorial on Thursday. The Little Giants will play TA (5-2) one more time this season on Oct. 15 in Bridgewater.

Turner Ashby took the JV contest to three games before falling 15-11 in Game 3. Waynesboro won the first game 25-8 before the Knights tied the match with a 25-20 win in Game 2.