Taylor High School varsity volleyball had its second home match of the season on Tuesday night in front of a packed gym as the Lady Ducks hosted Granger High School and swept the Lady Lions in three straight sets: 25-23, 25-9 and 25-14 to seal the deal.
This was one heck of a match to start as 4A Taylor got all it could handle in the first set from 2A Granger playing their hearts out. Back-and-forth action was on display as Granger got out to an early 11-8 lead after a great kill from Lady Lions sophomore Krista Hutka. However, Taylor came back to tie the set at 12-12 after a block at the net from Ducks Lady sophomore Elena Martinez and back-toback kills from senior Hannah Wamble.
Following a kill at the net by Lady Lions senior Jaila Rollie to give Granger a 13-12 advantage, the Lady Ducks strung some points together highlighted by an ace by Wamble to grab the 15-14 lead. Granger senior Tessa Burton, who was superb for the Lady Lions, tied the set 15-15 with one of her handful of kills on the night. The Lady Ducks responded in a big way with kills from senior Ansley Reed and junior Haley Harms to go up 20-17 and force a Granger timeout.
However, following a kill from Lady Lions junior Sofia Bernal to get within 20-18, Taylor went on a run with a kill from Martinez, an ace from senior Ri’Queleigh Holmes-Grant and another kill from Reed to push Granger to the brink of the first set at 24-19.
The Lady Ducks fended off a furious rally from the Lady Lions, who got within 24-23 but following a back-and-forth effort to get the last point, Reed was able to get the job done with a kill at the net as Taylor took the first set from Granger.
The Lady Ducks were really able to get settled in midway through the second set as Taylor looked dominant down the stretch. Multiple aces served up by Lady Ducks sophomore Makenna Watson gave Taylor a 6-5 lead but Granger had a kill from Rollie and an ace from Burton that got them to within a 9-8 deficit. For the rest of the second set, it was all Taylor as the Lady Ducks went on a huge run. Following back-to-back Lady Ducks aces from Harms, the Lady Lions simply could not stop the duo of Wamble and Reed the rest of the set.
In the third set, Taylor got out to an early 4-0 lead highlighted by multiple aces from senior Camryn Nunamaker but Granger made a rally to take a 5-4 lead on a kill from Rollie. A nice block at the net by Martinez and an ace from Watson gave Taylor a 10-6 lead and the Lady Ducks rolled from there with Nunamaker getting a kill to force a Lady Lions timeout with Taylor up 16-9. Wamble and her Taylor teammates took over the rest of the set and finished the job with an ace at the end of the match to give the Lady Ducks the match victory in three sets.
Taylor and Granger volleyball will continue to take part in the Rockdale Varsity Tournament that concludes on Saturday.
More updates from this weekend’s volleyball action will be in the next edition of the Taylor Press sports section.
Taylor High School varsity volleyball senior Camryn Nunamker (4) sets the ball on Aug. 22 while sophomore teammate Peyton Wamble (2) looks on during the Lady Ducks’ home match vs. Granger High School.
Photos by Larry Pelchat
