Off and running

Off and running

Lady Pats gash GCT

Sports Editor Marion volleyball opened its defense of its Class 6A state title with a key road win last night.

Playing new/old 6A/5A district rival Greene County Tech, the Lady Pats (1-0 overall, 1-0 6A/5A-East) opened its 2016 season with a straight sets sweep of the Lady Eagles, winning 25-19, 25-16 and 2510.

“I think Greene County Tech came out really ready to go, they were very fired up,” explained Marion head coach Lisa Beasley. “They made some big plays early on, there was a big block and everyone got really excited. We also had some errors, and I think that we got better with every set.”

The Lady Pats got the opportunity to show off its versatility a bit as the Lady Eagles opted for a strategy that turned Marion’s setters into defenders.

That put seniors Ally Bramucci and Gabi Catt into a new role, but one in which they proved more than capable of producing in.

“They tried to take our setters out, basically trying to take us out of system,” Beasley explained of her league rivals’ strategy. “They both played so well, especially defensively. They kept balls up, and everyone else played well, especially when you consider that they were now doing something different than they were used to doing.”

Catt and Bramucci still posted team-high totals of 19 and 16 assists, respectively, but they also combined for 23 digs in the three sets. Bramucci was also second on the team in kills with nine.

Senior Hope Phipps led Marion with a pair of aces served, and was also tops in digs with 17. Murray State commit Annalee Parker was next up with 10 digs, while also accounting for seven kills.

Sara Betts, an Arkansas State University commit, led Marion with 12 kills.

Sarah Burford served an ace, posted four kills and had three digs, while junior Destiny King had a kill and an assist.

Marion also took down a pair of junior varsity wins against Greene County Tech, winning 25-17 and 25-22.

Junior Caroline Brinkley led Marion with 14 digs, while Lillian Fogleman was tops on the team with nine assists and a pair of aces. Carly Russell was the only Lady Pat to hit double-digits in kills with 11.

Autumn Starling posted a dig, Claire Moncrief finished with four digs, six assists and three kills, Maggie Aureli posted four kills, Morgan Whited got to four digs, Sammi Kelley had a dig and Sarah Thompson posted two digs and two kills.

The defending Class 6A state champions will open their home schedule on Thursday night when they host Wynne. A 7th-grade match will begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by a varsity junior high match, then a junior varsity senior high match and then the varsity senior high match after that.

By Chuck Livingston