By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — If Watauga High School women’s volleyball team had any reservations about going up against a larger, in-conference school on Sept. 18, it didn’t show. The Pioneers all but routed the visiting McDowell Titans in Lentz Eggers Gym, 3-0 (25-5, 25-7, 25-17).
Now 14-1 overall, 4-0 in 6A/7A Northwestern Conference play, the host Pioneers rattled off 13 straight points to open the first set and never looked back. After back to back sets in which Watauga limited the Titans to single digits in scoring, head coach Kim Pryor was able to go deep into her bench, sprinkling in a number of younger reserves and give them valuable court time.
It hardly mattered what combination of Pioneers were on the floor. The execution was fluid. The results were a powerful statement of the team’s overall preparation and togetherness.
Afterwards, Pryor acknowledged the reality of playing against a larger school with more student-athletes to draw from and credited McDowell for having some really good athletes, several of whom she sees on the basketball court after the volleyball season. But Pryor quickly focused her thoughts on the Pioneers, whose members play together outside of high school competition in various combinations for travel teams and local volleyball clubs. Such year ’round work in volleyball has helped make Watauga a North Carolina 6A West power.
Although typically not one of the Pioneer starters, sophomore outside hitter Gracyn Phelps got plenty of court time in the third and final set, contributing four decisive kill shots hit hard enough to scrape some varnish off the hardwood flooring on the McDowell side of the net.
Afterward, Phelps smiled broadly in telling reporters she loved her teammates and loved the opportunities when they came to fearlessly “swing away” in attack. She credited senior outside hitter Emma Pastusic with helping refine her hitting capabilities.
Although Pastusic was rested most of the third set, she still led the team’s offensive power with 17 kills. In the somewhat abbreviated match, overall, setter Lainey Gragg adroitly recorded 28 assists.
One of the more remarkable team stats: 13 service aces, seven off the arm of outside hitter Ashlyn Smith and four from the versatile Gragg.
SELECTED INDIVIDUAL STATS
- Kills: Emma Pastusic (17), Kora Knight (6), Gracyn Phelps (4), Rae Coffey (3), Ashlyn Smith (2), Caroline Childers (1), Julia Rowan (1)
- Assists: Lainey Gragg (28), Caroline Childers (2), Ava Zaragoza (2), Athena Elliott (1)
- Service Aces: Ashlyn Smith (7), Lainey Gragg (5), Caroline Childers (2), Jillian Martin (1), Emma Pastusic (1)
- Blocks: Addie Stough (2), Lainey Gragg (1), Ashlyn Smith (1)
- Digs: Caroline Childers (19), Emma Pastusic (8), Lilli Combs (8), Ashlyn Smith (6), Graycie Collins (3), Rae Coffey (2), Ava Zaragoza (2), Jillian Martin (1), Kora Knight (1), Athena Elliott (1)
- Serve Receive: Caroline Childers (12), Emma Pastusic (7), Ashlyn Smith (6), Graycie Collins (4)
BONUS PHOTOS (Click any image for larger view and slide show mode)
All photographic images by David Rogers for High Country Sports
