Murphy – Since the start of the season, the Murphy volleyball team has taken care of business. Entering last week, the Lady Bulldogs were 8-0 and had dropped just two sets all season.
Murphy hit its first roadblock of the year at Tallulah Falls on Sept. 20 falling to the Indians 3-1 (18-25, 22-25, 25-22, 20-25), before bouncing back with a straight-set win at Hiwassee Dam (25-14, 25-13, 25-12) two days later.
“Outside of conference we want to play good teams that prepare you for the playoffs, and that’s what we did Monday night,” head coach Jordan Lovingood said. “Unfortunately we came up a little bit short. We were doing things out of the ordinary we don’t normally do. But at the same time, to end the week on a win, that’s all you can ask for.”
The Lady Bulldogs welcomed Tallulah Falls (16-7) to Cherokee County back on Sept. 20, dropping the first set before winning the next three to take the match. When Murphy travelled on the road, the Indians flipped the score for a four-set win of their own.
“We weren’t hitting the ball, we weren’t playing defense very well,” Lovingood said. “I told the girls most of the time is a loss is a learning experience, so that’s what we’ll use it as.”
Despite the loss, the Lady Bulldogs knew they needed the challenge. They have dropped only one set against Smoky Mountain Conference teams this season and tend to be a level above most teams.
“It’s great for us,” senior middle hitter Torin Rogers said about playing Tallulah Falls. “Any day I would take playing a team like Tallulah Falls over someone that doesn’t challenge us as much.”
Against Hiwassee Dam (3-5), the Lady Bulldogs once again swept a conference opponent. The Lady Eagles were able to hang around for part of the first set and only trailed 12-10, but Murphy (9-1) dominated the match from that point on.
“Yesterday we had a great practice, and we were fortunate to play today,” Rogers said. “And I thought we played much better today.”
Despite being without senior libero Cailey Dockery, Murphy stayed mostly in sync. When Dockery didn’t play against Swain County, it took the Lady Bulldogs a set to get going.
This time they picked it up about midway through the first set and never looked back. Murphy jumped out to 16-2 and 20-4 leads in the second and third set, giving Lovingood another chance to empty her bench and let some reserves help close off the match.
In matches where the Lady Bulldogs have the upper hand, Lovingood wants her team to focus on the little things. No matter the opponent, it’s always important to play up to the same standard.
“You go to big games and you don’t realize how much little things add up in a big match,” she said. “And so games like tonight you have to do the little things to get the job done.”
Murphy returned to the court with matches against Hiwassee Dam on Monday and Blue Ridge Early College on Tuesday. Results of both games were not available before this week’s edition of the Cherokee Scout went to press. The Lady Bulldogs host Cherokee on Thursday.