Drummond blanks Lady Wardens in volleyball opener

DRUMMOND – The Lady Trojans were able to play up a level and come away with a sweep of Powell County Saturday afternoon at home, 25-15, 25-15, and 25-22.

The victory was the first over nearby Powell County for second-year Lady Trojan Head Coach Brooks Phillips. It was one that is bearing the fruit of the labor that she and her team have put in since her coming on board in 2019.

“They really wanted to play a really good game and they were determined not to give any part of it away,” said Phillips after the win. “Even when they got down, they settle down, talked about it and got the job done.

Trailed to 10 and then rallied.

They’re not worrying about errors like they use to. They come back from those errors so much better than they used to being a little older and mature. When we’re trailing I let them go a little bit to see if they’ll catch themselves and they do. They stop, reflect and move forward.”

When asked to identify a player to highlight in the victory, Phillips couldn’t pick just one.

“(The) whole team stepped up. This team is a true team. They like each other, they are there for each other, they’re competitive with each other but they are there for each other first.”

Seniors Hannah Bradshaw and Sydney Phillips led at the net with a combined 17 kills, while Sophomore Holly Hauptman collected a team best three blocks.

Senior Deana Parke led the charge in game two with a long service stretch that gave Drummond a lead it would never relinquish. When asked about playing in the pandemic era format, she remarked, “It’s a little different but I think our team handled it well and played with the most energy we could have.”

Parke finished with a team high six aces.

Drummond will travel to Philipsburg Tuesday night for the first meeting of the cross-county rivals this season. The junior varsity match will kick things off at 5:30 followed by the varsity matchup at 7 p.m.