BLADENBORO – St. Pauls rode a 19-4 closing run to a 3-1 Three Rivers Conference volleyball victory over West Bladen Friday night by set scores of 25-19, 25-23, 25-27 and 25-18.
The Lady Knights rode the momentum from their 3rd set victory in the opening minutes of Set 4 as sophomore Lydia Villagomez and senior Amelia Brisson banged in kills during a 3-point service run for sophomore Emily Young that produced a quick 4-0 lead.
Sophomore Whitney McLean and senior Sidnee Walters slammed in kills as Villagomez reeled off 3 straight service points for a 10-4 West lead. Service points from seniors Shelby Pharr and Walters aided by kills from Brisson, Walters and McLean stretched the lead to 14-6. After a time-out the Lady Bulldogs began their winning run.
Pharr racked up 13 service points and 3 kills to lead the Lady Knights. Walters stuffed the stat sheet with 9 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces and 2 other service points. Villagomez tallied 8 service points and 3 kills. McLean hammered in 6 kills, 4 service points and a block. Brisson pounded in 7 kills, 3 blocks and 2 service points. Young fired in 8 service points and a kill.
A pair of Pharr kills and 2 service points from Young plus a Walters block helped the Lady Knights to an early 5-4 lead in the 1st set. Kills by Walters, McLean and Brisson plus a pair of Pharr service points and one from McLean kept West within 14-13 before an 11-6 St. Pauls run captured the set.
A service point and a kill from Brisson and 2 service points and a kill by Villagomez plus a Walters kill and a McLean service point rallied West to within 9-8 in Set 2. Brisson swatted in a pair of kills to win 2 service points for Pharr. A Young service point and kills by Brisson and Villagomez edged the Lady Knights ahead 16-15.
Walters and Brisson teamed up for a block, and Pharr dropped in a pair of service points to tie the set 20-20. Walters drilled in a kill and an ace to keep the score knotted 22-22. A Pharr kill pulled West even 23-23, but St. Pauls took the next 2 points and the set.
The Lady Bulldogs raced to an 11-3 lead in the 3rd set, before Pharr punched in a kill, and Villagomez and Pharr won 2 service points each to whittle the lead to 12-8. Walters blasted in an ace and another service point, and a McLean kill and a Brisson block pulled West to within 15-14.
Service points from Brisson, McLean and Villagomez edged the Lady Knights ahead 19-18. A pair of Walters kills, a Brisson block and 4 straight service points from Pharr put West up 24-20. St. Pauls tied the set 25-25, but Young tipped in the set-winner at 27-25.
The Lady Knights, now 3-3 in league play and 5-4 overall, will take a break for the holidays then host South Columbus Monday, January 4th.
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