CPHS Volleyball: Bixby sweeps Sandites 3-0 in season opener
/
The Charles Page High School varsity volleyball team (0-1) suffered a 3-0 loss in its season-opener Tuesday night at the Ed Dubie Field House. The Bixby Spartans (1-0) won sets of 26-24, 25-19, and 25-21 in the Frontier Valley Conference match-up.
Early in the match it looked like the Sandites would run away with it, taking a 7-1 lead behind a handful of Spartan errors and a pair of blocks. The visitors came storming back, winning twelve straight rallies for the 14-8 lead, thanks in part to five aces from freshman Raegan Vernon.
A service error late in the set kicked off a Sandite comeback attempt. Olivia Dewitt scored an ace and Kasidy Holland scored a pair of kills for the 23-21 advantage, but a pair of errors tied it up. Holland and Jacelyn Smith combined on a block, but Olivia Vance tied it again and a pair of errors gave the Spartans the win.
Bixby jumped out to a 7-2 lead in set two before Sand Springs surged back. Dewitt scored a pair of aces and Smith combined on a block with Teyha Johnson for the 9-8 lead. Things stayed close till the Spartans went on a six-point run to make it 23-16 and the home team never recovered.
Sand Springs never led in the third set but they kept it fairly competitive. Bailey Steele served an ace and Vance hit a pair of kills for a 23-15 lead, but Johnson set up kills for Smith, Layla Lenex, and Payton Robbins to cut it to 24-21 before Baylea Norris secured the win for the Spartans.
“We had pretty good hustle,” said second-year Head Coach Derek Jackson. “We were diving for balls and everything but our game plan was to win serve and serve-receive and I definitely don’t think we won that. Our serve-receive was pretty spotty and that put us in a tough position to be offensive. For them it was easy balls coming their way so they were able to go attack. We just didn’t put enough pressure on them.”
The Spartans served 14 aces and committed ten service errors, while Sand Springs served only five aces with five service errors. Robbins led the Sandites in kills with eight, Johnson led in assists with 16, and Madison Blaylock led in digs with 19. Vance and Baylea Norris combined for 21 kills for the Spartans.
Sandite Volleyball will return to action Friday at 9:00 a.m. when they take on Tecumseh in the first round of their home tournament. They will play Lawton (0-1) at 11:00 a.m., Highway 97 rival Sapulpa (0-1) at 2:00 p.m., and will have a rematch with Bixby at 5:00 p.m. Fans will be required to wear masks at all home events. Bixby will travel to Bishop Kelley Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
