Tyler Harris, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
PROCTORVILLE — All great teams seem to have a secret. There’s just something about them that allows them to have sustained success over the course of a season and beyond.
CREDIT: Tyler Harris/SOSA
For coach Mary Haynes’ Dragons, their secret this year? Have fun.
“I think when you start putting too much pressure on yourself as a team, it’s not fun any more,” Haynes said. “I just told them to have fun, because we’re all tired. But I want them to just enjoy this.”
On Wednesday, they did just that as Fairland cruised to a sectional championship win over visiting Warren.
The first set wasn’t particularly close. The game was never within five points after the Dragons (20-2) sprinted out to a 9-0 lead, relying on the service of senior Katie Pruitt to do so. That lead set the tone for the entire first set as Fairland took care of business in a 25-16 manner.
But as always, when it comes to tournament time, it’s all fun and games until you get punched in the mouth.
The Dragons started the second set with a 5-3 lead before Warren responded with an 8-2 run to make it 11-7, forcing Fairland to take a timeout and face their first dose of adversity on the night.
The Warriors controlled much of the second set, taking advantage of several uncharacteristic miscues, and it didn’t look like there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Fairland struggled to find momentum and regain control of the match until back-to-back Kylee Bruce kills and a string of three service aces from senior setter Kalei Ngumire gave the team a slim 19-18 advantage.
Following back and forth play, the Dragons leaned on what has been their bread and butter all year long, blocking and back row play. Jordan Spencer and Chloe Mayo locked in and made things difficult for the visitors, allowing Fairland to finally close out the second set at 25-22.
“Our blocking and defense was good, but our serves are something that has been really good this year,” Haynes said of the turning point in that second set. “It’s a fundamental skill you have to have and we work on that and I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish there.”
While service was the key to a nip-and-tuck second set, the Dragons went right back to having fun and playing clean volleyball for a third set in which they never trailed.
It was the team’s ability to make the easy plays and avoid mental errors, a tone set by its senior leaders, that allowed them to roar to a 25-15 final in the third, completing the sweep.
“[The seniors] show our younger girls how to still have fun in those moments,” Haynes said. “It’s important to keep things serious when it needs to be. They put enough pressure on themselves that sometimes we step back, take a breath and we just go play the game and our seniors are able to show what needs to be done.”
In a balanced effort on the night, Ngumire finished the night with 23 assists, three kills and four aces, while Pruitt did a little of everything, tallying five digs, eight kills, and two aces. Spencer and Mayo led the way with two blocks each, as well as five and six kills, respectively. Libero Brooklynn Roland was the defensive anchor, finishing with 19 digs on the night.
Fairland advances to a Division II district semifinal at 6 p.m., Monday at Athens High School. The Dragons will meet with OVC rival Gallia Academy in that contest for a third time this season after splitting the first two meetings.
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