SPORTS ROUNDUP: Lady Jags stop the Lady Mavs

August 19, 2021 Bob Bakken

Photo: Lady Jags ready to return serve against Germantown (Madison) on Thursday night in Southaven. (Bob Bakken/DeSoto County Sports)

THE VITAL STATISTICS:

Prep volleyball

DeSoto Central 3, Germantown (Madison) (25-19, 25-17, 27-25)

Oxford 3, Lake Cormorant 0 (25-12, 25-9, 25-6)

Southaven 3, Senatobia 1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-16, 25-12)

Lafayette (Oxford) 3, Horn Lake 0 (25-11, 25-11, 25-4)

Girls’ golf

(At Wedgewood)

Evangelical Christian 81, Northpoint Christian 86, Fayette Academy 99

Katelyn Day and Kennedy Smith of DeSoto Central are set to block a Germantown volleyball in Thursday night’s straight-set victory. (Bob Bakken/DeSoto County Sports_

LADY JAGS SWEEP GERMANTOWN:

After a straight-set loss to Oxford, the DeSoto Central volleyball team, the defending MHSAA 6A state champions, felt they had something to prove Thursday night as upset-minded Germantown (Madison) came to Central Parkway. While the final set went to extra points, the Lady Jags got the boost in confidence they needed with a straight-set victory over the Lady Mavs. Set scores in the match were 25-19, 25-17, and 27-25.

DeSoto Central coach Margaret Falatko was proud of the bounce back.

“They had a tough loss at Oxford and didn’t play well,” Falatko said. “It’s not that we lost at Oxford, but it’s how we played against Oxford. We didn’t play well, we didn’t execute, we didn’t do a lot of things well. We gave them a lot of points and had a lot of unforced errors.”

DeSoto Central trailed the first set until Emma Claire Story served one of her game-high five aces to tie the set at 8-8. The Lady Mavs retook the lead at 12-8 until the Lady Jags tied the set at 13-13.

Emma Claire Story of DeSoto Central is set to serve one of her team-leading five service aces against Germantown. (Bob Bakken/DeSoto County Sports)

It was all DeSoto Central from there in the set, leading the set by as much as 19-14, 20-15, and 22-17 before taking the set 25-19.

The Lady Jags led the second set early before Germantown tied it at 4-4. But DeSoto Central retook the lead and pulled away, taking a 10-point lead at one point at 17-7. The Lady Mavs fashioned a bit of a comeback before DeSoto Central finished set off at 25-17.

The deciding set was close until Germantown grew the margin to 12-7 and forced Falatko to call a timeout. The stoppage didn’t seem to slow the visitors down, however, as the Lady Mavs’ lead increased to 15-10 before the comeback started.

A kill shot from DeSoto Central’s Kennedy Smith brought the set to 17-15 Germantown and after an exchange of side outs, a Germantown volley into the net tied the set at 18-18.

The Lady Mavs got the lead back to two points at 22-20 Germantown and DeSoto Central called a second timeout. This time the momentum seemed to work a bit as DeSoto Central tied the set at 22-22. Teams traded side outs again and the Lady Mavs seemed to be on the verge to taking the set at 24-23.

However, the Lady Jags got a side out to tie the set at 24-24, and Kennedy Smith got a shot to fall off a block for a one-point DeSoto Central lead.

A Germantown block got the set tied at 25-25, but the Lady Jags got the match with the next two points and a 27-25 set win.

“We really focused on doing the little things right,” Faltako said about the last set comeback. “Don’t let the ball hit the floor, run your offense, make sure we’re serving strong and aggressively from behind the service line.”

In addition to Story’s five aces, Smith finished with 11 kills, six digs and one ace for DeSoto Central. Kasey Scruggs made six kills, seven digs and a service ace. McKenzie Brewer made 12 assists and had seven digs, while My Young finished with 11 assists and four kills.

Lindsey Cowart excelled on the floor with 20 digs.

DeSoto Central plays at Bartlett, Tennessee next Tuesday and will travel to Olive Branch on Thursday.