By Erik Harris
CLAY – In the second Class 6A, Area 12 conflict of the season, Clay-Chalkville cruised to victory over Shades Valley at home on Tuesday night.
“The biggest thing right now is being able to stay focused and close out the closer matches against teams that are very competitive,” Clay-Chalkville head coach Natasha Brown said. “I’m pleased with the direction that we’re heading.”
Clay-Chalkville head volleyball coach Natasha Brown addresses her team. photo via the program’s Twitter account
The Cougars (8-5, 2-0) set the tone with a lopsided 25-9 victory in the evening’s first set. The next two sets proved to be tougher, but Clay-Chalkville eventually controlled the outcome, winning 25-19 and 25-17.
In Set 2, the visitors rebounded from an early deficit to pull to within one at 19-18, but senior leadership sparked a strong Cougar finish with a 5-0 run.
One of those seniors, Kardasia Hitchcock, showed her college-ready skillset with a 14-kill outing. She is currently committed to Stony Brook University.
“It just comes out of nowhere sometimes. When I get my adrenalin going, I’m just up,” said Hitchcock of her ability to bring offensive production.
Hitchcock praises her teammates and their ability to set the table for her thunderous strikes at the net. As a team, Clay-Chalkville finished with 34 assists; all but four of them were executed by senior Annastasia Brackin. Junior Raven Omar chipped in with 15 of her team’s 58 digs.
“When they’re on, I’m on. When I’m on, they’re on,” Hitchcock said of her teammates. “If they’re setting anyone up, it’s a good thing. Teamwork is what’s making us win right now.”
“(Brackin) is the only setter that we have, so she never comes out. She never takes breaks,” Brown said. “She’s a phenomenal player that plays with a lot of passion and effort.”
Jaszia Bowie and Lexie Payne, both seniors, found production off the serve. The pair dropped five aces apiece to go along with the team’s 21. Bowie also got defensive with two blocks on the Mounties.
The Cougars now set their sights on Class 7A Spain Park, who comes into town on Thursday night. Clay-Chalkville’s next area game will be on Sept. 16 at Huffman.
