Clovers fall in three sets to Eels

CLOVERDALE -- The Clay City Eels volleyball team traveled to Cloverdale with a great starting record to their early season at 2-0 overall. Their record increased to 3-0 Tuesday night with a dominating victory against the Clovers, 25-21, 25-14, 25-15.

Things started off well for Clay City, quickly jumping out to a 5-1 lead.

Cloverdale was able to come back to get a lead off a kill by sophomore Bristy Skiles. The rest of the first game was a see-saw battle, with both teams alternating serves.

Clay City quickly regained its lead and brought the set to 24-18, when a kill by Eel senior Lynsey Higgins ended the set.

Despite losing the first set, Cloverdale coach Kathy Moore was pleased with the play.

"We played well the first set," Moore said. "(We) played aggressively."

Clay City again opened up well in the second set, with a 7-2 lead thanks to Higgins, who had two of her eight kills within a couple of points of each other.

To its credit, however, Cloverdale fought back to bring the Clovers' deficit to 11-8. Clay City brought the heat again, as Eel senior Shelby Hane drilled a couple of aces, and sophomore Callie Dayhuff recorded a kill to extend their lead to 15-9.

Toward the end of the second set, with Cloverdale starting to show signs of life with a kill from Clover senior Holly McCammon, Clay City showed Cloverdale its best, as the Clovers ran off six straight points. Half of those came from kills by Dayhuff.

Clay City showed its teamwork on Tuesday night, coach Lu Anne Anderson said.

"What I'm pleased of so far is we don't have, right now, anyone who's standing out with a 20-plus kill game," Anderson said. "We have a lot of girls who get a lot of kills each game ... which I think makes us a better team."

The third set was all Clay City as it started off fast and kept the pressure on with a 20--10 lead before the Clovers could recover. The entire match was over within an hour, as Cloverdale just made a few too many mistakes, but Moore thought it was an anomaly.

"This is a complete turnaround from last night," Moore said. "When we pass well, we usually score, and we just didn't have the passing tonight."

The Clay City JV also won its match up Tuesday, two sets to none.

Cloverdale will look to rebound in its next match in a home game against West Vigo Thursday evening, starting with the JV match at 6 p.m.