WEBB CITY, Mo. — After splitting the first four sets of a non-conference volleyball match with Bentonville West, Webb City took control of the deciding fifth set right from the start.
As a result, the Cardinals are 1-0 in 2021.
Webb City defeated Bentonville West 3-2 on Tuesday night inside the Cardinal Dome. The set scores were 25-16, 17-25, 25-12, 14-25 and 15-8.
“I’m pretty happy,” Webb City coach Rhonda Lawrence said. “You can’t ask for a better practice than that. That’s the kind of team we need to play all the time. I felt like our girls showed a lot of grit. And I thought we really hustled tonight.”
The Cardinals scored the first three points of the fifth set and never relinquished the momentum. Webb City had leads of 6-2 and 10-4 en route to victory in the final set of the season opener.
“That fifth game goes real quick, especially if you don’t get on top first,” Lawrence said. “If you get down early, you’re in trouble. We wanted to make a statement in the first five points. We did and that made the difference.”
Webb City featured a balanced attack at the net. As far as kills, three players finished in double figures. Senior Kearston Galardo recorded 11 kills, while junior Brenda Lawrence and senior Makenzie Storm contributed 10 kills apiece.
Overall, Coach Lawrence received solid contributions from a number of players.
Junior setter Kyah Sanborn handed out 34 assists and had 12 digs for the Cardinals, while sophomore defensive specialist Sophia Crane had a team-high 15 digs. Storm added 13 digs.
Galardo contributed six digs, while Jenna Noel chipped in five digs and Kate Brownfield and Lawrence added four digs apiece. Lawrence had five aces, while Brownfield had three.
“Volleyball comes down to serving and passing,” Coach Lawrence said. “Our passing was not there in the games we lost. In the games we won, the passing was on and we’ve got a lot of options. We’ve got a lot of girls who can put the ball down.
“Kearston stepped up,” Coach Lawrence added. “She played well and she’s a lot more comfortable on the outside. Brenda swings hard and Kate Brownfield is one of the best athletes on the floor.”
In the opening set, the Cardinals took a 10-5 lead on a Lawrence ace. The Wolverines pulled within 21-16, but Webb City rattled off four straight points.
Led by a pair of 6-footers at the net, Bentonville West grabbed the momentum in the second set, leading 12-4 on the way to the set win.
The Cardinals bounced back nicely in the third set, as six service points from Lawrence gave the hosts a 20-11 cushion.
The visitors once again took back the momentum by finishing strong in the fourth set. Up 12-11, the Wolverines finished the set on a 13-3 surge to force a deciding fifth set.
In the final set, Brownfield’s ace gave the Cardinals a 3-0 cushion and the hosts would never give up their lead. A Lawrence kill finished off the night.
“We seemed flat in those games we lost,” Coach Lawrence said. “I think part of it is we have to get used to each other. I used three or four different lineups and shifted people around a lot tonight. But I think that versatility will pay off for us later in the season.”
Webb City (1-0) returns to action on Thursday at Harrisonville.
