ROWLAND – East Bladen dropped the first set then won 3 sets in a row to defeat South Robeson 3-1 Thursday night in Four County Conference volleyball action by set scores of 19-25, 25-19, 25-16 and 25-22.
Junior Sarah Johnson reeled off four straight service points to give the Lady Eagles a 7-3 lead in the first set, but South Robeson pulled even at 13-13 and gradually took leads of 16-13 and 20-16 en route to taking the set.
Senior Kaley Smith opened the second set by firing in 7 straight service points as East Bladen took an early 8-5 lead. Two service points from junior Ashley Hardin lifted the Lady Eagle lead to 14-10.
Senior Hannah Devane stretched the lead to 21-14 with five straight service points. Senior Faith Johnson served out the set and tied the match with a pair of service points.
Two service points each from Sarah Johnson and Hardin pulled East Bladen even at 9-9 in the third set. Faith Johnson tallied 5 straight service points as the Lady Eagles edged ahead 18-15, before Sarah Johnson rang up 6 consecutive service points to serve out the set for a 2-1 East lead.
South Robeson rolled to a 16-7 lead in Set 4, before Kaley Smith rallied the Lady Eagles with 5 service points that sliced the lead to 17-13. The come-back continued as Sarah Johnson drilled in 6 straight service points that vaulted East in front 21-19.
Sophmore Gracyn Martin served out the match with a pair of service points that cemented the 25-22 win in Set 4.
Sarah Johnson poured in 18 service points to lead the Lady Eagle scoring. Kaley Smith racked up 12 service points, and Faith Johnson finished with 10 service points.
Hardin and Devane contributed 6 service points each. Martin added 2 service points, and Dy’Asia McDowell had one service point.
“The girls played so well,” said East Bladen Assistant Coach Alex Peterson. “I am prouder of the way they played together than the actual win.”
The Lady Eagles host Clinton Monday in a non-conference game at 4:30.
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