By Larry Griffin
lgriffin@thesmokymountaintimes.com
Bryson City – The Maroon Devils defeated the Andrews Wildcats 3-0 in volleyball Oct. 12.
The game, the final one for the Devils before the playoffs, saw both teams keeping the ball up in the air, sometimes for prolonged periods. The mood was mostly relaxed, and the players got accolades when they spiked the ball well over the net for a decisive point.
Some points were scored by bouncing the ball off the headboard. The players made quick, sharp movements and kept things going. The Devils kept a sizable lead over the Wildcats for the first round, ending with a 25-11 win.
To begin the second quarter, the Wildcats came back strong and scored a point within the first minute. The Devils quickly struck back and got the score to 1-1. The score began to ping-pong between the two, going up to 3-3 and then 4-3 in favor of the Devils within a few minutes.
Both teams were playing well with the Wildcats performing acrobatic feats, keeping the ball in the air even when it was inches from hitting the ground. The Devils played way out into the field and the ball sometimes scraped the net for a point when they spiked it.
The second quarter ended 25-18 in favor of the Devils, while the third quarter saw them winning 25-17.
Asked about the season thus far as it inches toward an end, coach Lydia Sale said she was proud of the team.
“This year has been phenomenal for this group of girls,” she said. “Sometimes, teams lose faith when they’re nearing the end of the season, but I don’t see that with them. They’re working really hard. They’re very supportive of each other. It’s fun to watch them work this hard.”