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Box Score 2 Maryville knocked LaGrange from the USA South West Division unbeaten ranks Sunday at Mariotti Gym. The Scots (11-1, 7-0 USA South) won the conference counting and non-conference counting matches both by 3-0 scores. The Panthers are now 5-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play.
The Scots took the first match 25-16, 25-15, and 25-15, then completed the sweep in the second match 25-16, 25-18, and 25-15. The Panthers had 23 kills in the both matches.
"We knew today would be a tough one. Maryville has an incredible volleyball team," Coach Madison Machurek said. "They play aggressive, disciplined volleyball. Hats off to their veteran coach, Kandis Schram. She has recruited some serious talent to their program.
Journey Oden and McKenzie Richards had seven kills each in the first match. Oden had a team-best .385 hitting percentage. She led the team in the second match with another seven kills. Kirsten Boyd tied for match best with 13 second match digs.
The Panthers did not get a lead in dropping the first match's first set. LC fell behind 9-3 early and never recovered. The closest the Panthers got was seven points twice as the Scots took a 1-0 lead with the 25-16 win.
Maryville closed out the match with identical 25-15 wins in the second and third sets. The Panthers led 6-3 in the third set. Maryville got the next four points to go up 10-7 and never trailed again.
Yasmin Roper's kill early in the first set of the second match gave LC an early 4-3 lead. Maryville responded with a 10-1 run, aided by three straight attack errors by the Panthers. The closest LC would come the rest of the way was 24-16 after a Scot service error and a kill by Heidi Shrontz. Maggie Matthews' kill closed out the set for the Scots, 25-16.
LC led 10-7 in the second set after a kill by Richards and another Scot service error. Trailing 15-12, the Panthers tied the set after three straight attack errors by the Scots. Maryville ran off five straight points to go up 20-15. The Panthers cut the deficit to four, 22-18, after Karson Troth's kill. But the Scots got the final three points to take the set 25-18.
Maryville never trailed in closing out the match with a 25-15 third set win. The Panthers got as close as 11-9 after a pair of attack errors by the Scots. But a 5-0 burst by the Scots opened up a 16-9 lead and they were never threatened the rest of the set.
"The good news is that we have a young team. This is the toughest match we've played this season. When you play a talented team like this, you learn what it takes to compete at a high level," said Machurek. "All in all, we stuck to the game plan. We need to continue to work to be an aggressive offensive team and find ways to get into system, defensively. We have a lot of work ahead of us and we hope to see them in the future in the West Division Championships."
