ANDERSON — The Pendleton Heights volleyball match against Anderson Wednesday, could be seen as a microcosm of the new season for the team. Early on, the timing between the setters and the hitters was off, but once the young Arabians figured that out, they were tough to stop.
Senior Brinkley Gary and sophomore Averi Lanman had 12 kills each, and sophomore setter Aubree Dwiggins piled up most of her 26 assists in the second and third sets, as Pendleton Heights held off Anderson 25-23, 25-18, 25-15 to even its season record at 1-1.
Anderson fell to 0-2 with the loss.
Coach Blair Barksdale said early struggles are not a surprise. Both middle hitters, Lanman and Gracie King, and both setters, Dwiggins and Macy Bell, are sophomores who are still working on their timing at the varsity level.
“You’re going to see a lot of that this year with a sophomore-dominated team,” she said. “We’ll have some up and downs, some breakdowns in communication, but as the season goes along, I expect those will be fewer and fewer.”
Barksdale had alternated Bell and Dwiggins through much of the first set, which saw the Arabians surge back from a five-point deficit.
In the second set, she stuck with Dwiggins, who responded with 22 assists after the first set.
“I made that setter change after the first set,” Barksdale said. “I felt like (Dwiggins) was connecting a little bit better with the hitters and was a little more comfortable.”
With Gary on the outside and Lanman in the middle, the Arabians were in control after a close first set.
“When we get both Averi and Brinkley going, that’s tough to stop,” Barksdale said.
Senior Michelle Merryman was also key Wednesday night. In addition to having four kills, she seemed to be in the right place at the right time throughout the match, leading the Arabians with 18 digs and adding 10 serves received. Barksdale credited Merryman for having a high volleyball IQ.
“She’s one of those players I need to have out there,” Barksdale said. “She reads the court and the flow of the game well. We miss her when she’s not out there; she has a real feel for the game.”
After a season opening loss Monday, Aug. 14, against Richmond, and with a tough home match today, Thursday, Aug. 17. against defending Madison County champion Madison-Grant, Merryman said it was big for the young team’s confidence to pick up a road win Wednesday.
“It mattered a lot, because we have a big game tomorrow,” Merryman said. “We needed to have that knowledge that we can do it.”
“That will be another tough battle against a county rival,” Barksdale said. “We’ll get after it.”
Earlier, the junior varsity picked up a three-set win against Anderson, 24-25, 25-17, 15-9. Freshman Lyndsey Oswalt had 10 assists, and sophomore Aubrey Helpling had seven kills, to pace the Arabians.
The JV will get today’s Madison-Grant action started at 6:30 p.m. with the varsity match to follow.
