Prep Volleyball: Roswell sweeps East Coweta
By DOUG GORMANdgorman@newnan.com
This time last year the East Coweta Lady Indians volleyball team was in upset mode as it knocked off state-ranked Woodstock and then Parkview to advance to the Elite 8.
There won’t be a magical run this time.
The Lady Hornets were never really challenged by the Area 2-AAAAAA champions as East Coweta fell on its own floor 25-16, 25-12, and 25-13.
East Coweta coach Dena Taylor says she knew her team was in for a tough challenge.
She was right. East Coweta spent all three matches trying to play from behind.
“They play in a tough area and against some really tough opponents,” she said.
The first game was the most competitive of the night as East Coweta rallied to to tie the game three times. A kill by Jessi Bartholomew evened the game at 3-3 before Roswell took control of the contest and eventually pushed the lead out to 16-10.
For a time, it appeared the Lady Indians were going to piece together an impressive comeback.
Sydney Mauer, and Erin Gould helped the Lady Indians score the next six points to tie the contest at 16, but that was as close as East Coweta could get. Roswell refocused and scored the final nine points of the game.
After Roswell built a 6-2 lead early in the second contest, East Coweta was again forced to try and catch up.
Kills by Haylea Mannebach and Dominque Ingram twice kept the score within two points. The Lady Hornets pushed the lead out to double digits when Alex Mills put away a shot for Roswell to increase the lead to 18-8. From there, East Coweta managed just four more points.
East Coweta made one small run in the third game as Savannah Freeman came through with back to back points and Gould cut the lead to 14-11.
Roswell finished off East Coweta by outscoring then 11-3.
The Lady Indians shot themselves in the foot with some poor serving in the final game, hitting the ball into the net three times to give Roswell easy points.
Throughout the night, East Coweta had trouble getting the ball over the Lady Hornets front line. Alex Mills and Carlyn Gilbert were game changers throughout the match, putting away several points on kills and also setting up points off of blocks.
The Lady Indians entered the first-round of the state tournament winning 13 of its last 17 matches. East Coweta ends its season at 25-15.
With only Gould and Makayla Aiken graduating from this year’s squad, Taylor hopes the future is bright.
“The offseason is important,” she said. “We might have to schedule some tougher opponents next year to get ready for state.”
