Newberry Academy's Lady Eagles soar to win against Kings Academy
Sep. 15—NEWBERRY — Newberry Academy secured their fifth win of the season after defeating Kings Academy at home on Thursday, Sept. 14 in three of four sets.
The lady Eagles dominated the first set with a score of 25-11, but ran into a bit of some trouble in the second set. The lady Knights fought much harder in the second set but still loss the set 25-20.
Then, things got much tighter for the lady Eagles in the third set. They quickly jumped out to 15-6 lead but the momentum shifted after the Eagles went on a 15 to 6 run to tie the score.
The lady Knights comeback ended with them winning the third set 25-22 after the Eagles made a lot of unforced errors. The Eagles hadn't trailed in the match until the third set. Also, Eagles head coach Travis Gilliam explained that he made a lot of substitutions in the third set to get younger players some in-game experience.
"We subbed a lot, so we kind of lost a little bit of gel through there. I told them to stay focus though. 'Focus on the first ball and get your serve in, I think we'll be fine coming into the next set,'" said Gilliam.
The lady Eagles did just that in a hard fought fourth set. The two teams went back-and-forth but the Eagles pulled away late to secure a 25-18 to win the set and the match.
This win also help the Eagles get their season back on track. After a 4-1 start to the season, they came into the match-up with three consecutive losses and all three were against region opponents.
"We got a huge region with eight teams in our region. King is always tough, but this is what we are going to face in our region," said Gilliam. "Besides two teams, everybody is right there together with each other . So, we know we are going to face it every time we see it. We just got to remain focus and we would be good."
Khloe Cheeks led the way for the Eagles. The sophomore captain finished the game with six kills and showed her leadership skills by continuing to rally the her teammates during their difficult stretch in the third and fourth sets.
"Sometimes its hard for me because I am team player and I like to do what's best for my team. When we start to get down like that, it does become frustrating," said Cheeks. "I try my best to keep the team up and build them up because they play off the leader and I am trying my best to be one at such a young age."
The lady Eagles will return to action on Monday, Sept. 18 on the road to face Providence in Lexington, SC.
Reach Greg Hollis @ 803-768-3117 or on Twitter X @TheNBOnews
