Trail volleyball drops conference opener

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NEW PARIS — The National Trail volleyball team lost its Cross County Conference opener on Thursday, Sept. 3, when the Blazers fell to Newton in straight sets.

Trail lost 14-25 in the opening game, 18-25 in game two and 24-26 in game three. Kortney Rea had a good night serving, picking up six points and an ace.

Head coach Joy Yeazel said National Trail failed to start the way it requires to win games.

“We started off very flat from the first serve and we struggled in the first two sets,” Yeazel said. “The last set we were ahead and again let some bad habits and communication errors get in the way of winning the game.”

Alexus Acton had eight kills on the night, Rise Griffin had 25 good serve receptions and Ariel Lee pitched in 11 digs.

On Tuesday, Sept 1, the team faced a strong opponent from out of conference when they battled a tough Union County (Indiana) squad.

Trail lost in straight sets 12-25, 9-25, and 11-25. Yeazel was excited by the start of the match before bad habits again derailed the team.

“The game was tied at nine when we let some bad habits sneak back into our game,” she said. “We need to work on our mental toughness, because we are going to be playing a lot of strong teams like Union County.”

Yeazel also gave credit to the skill of her opponents. “Union County is a very balanced team that came out very strong. They are well coached and played a smart match,” she said.

Lauren Moore had one ace, Shania Jordan, Kaitlyn Morgan and Acton had two kills a piece, Rea had three assists, and Griffin had 21 serve receptions.

Yeazel said next week is a big week for her team as they prepare to take on Brookville. “I know what these girls can do and I’m looking forward to them putting it together in a match.”

By Austin Schmidt

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Reach Austin Schmidt at 937-683-4062 or on Twitter @aschmdit_RH.

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