Photos and Story by Arella Cash
Eatonton Messenger
Both the girls’ Varsity and Jr. Varsity volleyball teams got their 2022 seasons underway Aug. 9, at Putnam County High School, where both also fell twice to Jones County in a pair of hard-fought matches.
Senior Angelica Alexander opened service for Putnam’s Varsity squad and earned the Lady Eagles’ first point, but her second serve led to Jones scoring and following up with two more points. Junior Lacey Brue then served and helped bring Putnam back to a 4-4 tie, followed up by some soaring volleys.
Tori Land of Jones County threw the Putnam girls for a loop, however, getting her team a 15-point lead during her serve session. The Lady Eagles continued to fight hard, though, gaining three more points before the game ended with a 25-7 score favoring Jones.
In the second game, Jones started off getting a pair of points before a mistake handed the ball over to the Lady Eagles. Alexander’s first serve again put Putnam on the scoreboard, bringing the teams even at two, but the tie turned out to be short lived.
Ultimately, Jones continued to control the ball and when the score reached 14-3, PCHS head coach Francisco Aguirre Arancibia called a timeout. The pause seemed to give the Lady Eagles a bit more confidence to play their best, even if they would not end the game with the upper hand.
A frustrated Aguirre called a final timeout at 24-5, which motivated his team to score one last point to end the second game 25-6 for Jones County.
After some deliberation, coaches from both teams agreed to play one more no-pressure game. Although it also ended with a 25-10 win for Jones, the Lady Eagles’ spirits were not discouraged, realizing the first match of the season does not necessarily define their entire year.
Earlier in the day, the Lady Eagles JV team, composed of hard-working, middleschool players and young high schoolers, dropped matches with scores of 25-17 and 25-2, respectively.
Regardless, JV head coach Sarah Mangan said she is proud to see her team improving. “I’ve seen so much growth from the girls I met back at tryouts in May. We have a long road ahead, but I can’t wait to see where it takes us. I know the girls are ready for this journey and will work hard to accomplish great things.”
Mangan added that as a first-year coach she couldn’t ask for a better group of girls to work with and that “they make coming to practice fun” by always trying to improve each time out.
“The wins will come in time, but being good friends and great teammates are skills that are much harder to teach than passing and setting,” Mangan added. “Luckily, we have a whole team full.”
While both Mangan and assistant JV coach Kristin Grebel are new to PCHS coaching, they’re committed to encouraging these young athletes to succeed.
“The JV team continues to astound me with their perseverance. Almost the entire team is experiencing their first time on a court and have only had a few practices together to grow their skills. Taking all of that into consideration, they constantly seek advice, help each other, and support their teammates with true heart,” Grebel said.
“I can’t wait to see where this team lands at the end of their first season as they have the gumption of true athletes and are bound to do amazing things.”