High School Sports

By HAROLD WILSON
Staff Writer

John Tyler's 2008 volleyball debut dished out mixed reviews.

Hallsville handed JT a 3-1 loss in a competitive first match at the Lions Den to start the season.

Behind the hitting of Briona Jordan and serving of Monecia Preston, the Lady Lions leveled their record in the nightcap with a 3-0 sweep of Chapel Hill to settle for a split.

In the middle match, Hallsville handled Chapel Hill in three straight games (25-10, 25-9, 25-6) to leave with a 2-0 record.

The opener marked the return of JT head volleyball coach Stephanie March-Smith, who led the same program to the area round in 2004 and 2005 before relocating to Waco for two years.

Along with March-Smith, several Lady Lions made their varsity debuts -- six of the 10 players in uniform. JT played both matches without its top player from last year, senior all-district hitter Alexis White, and the second minus junior defensive specialist Kelvicia Warren.

Prior to the final match, Warren went down with an apparent ankle injury after accidentally stepping on a rolling ball while attempting a jump serve.

"We're struggling with injuries and we are young and missing Alexis, but we played well," March-Smith said. "I'm proud of how we played."

Hallsville hit the court running in the first game, and after JT pulled even, the Lady 'Cats closed strong in the last two games to prevail 25-14, 23-25, 25-20, 25-22.

JT scored the first point but never led again in the first game as six players produced kills for Hallsville, with Stephanie Bayne and Whitney Hale providing three apiece.

The Lady Lions lost six-point leads in each of the last two games, getting outscored 5-1 to end the third, and 4-1 to cap off the match.

Monique Allen, a junior hitter, chalked up 10 kills, five service points and four kills in the junior's first varsity match. Candace Black, a sophomore setter, contributed 13 points and 10 assists.

Other Lady Lions playing a big part included sophomore hitter Shankendra Mumphrey (seven kills, one block) and sophomore middle blocker GabriElla Wilson (four blocks, three kills).

Bayne (11 points, 10 kills) and Hale (13 assists, 10 kills) led Hallsville, which has made the playoffs 15 consecutive years.

"The first match was a learning experience. We weren't finishing," said March-Smith, who was playing with three sophomores. "They have to learn how to transition and get quicker and we need to eliminate errors. � But I'm proud we played with Hallsville -- they're a savvy team."

Following a break from action, JT performed a near-360-degree turn to beat Chapel Hill in convincing fashion, 25-16, 25-10, 25-19.

Jordan and Mumphrey attacked the net frequently, combining for 21 kills.

In the first game, the pair each recorded four kills. Jordan continued to hammer down balls with four more kills in the second game and five in the third.

Preston put her imprint on the second match with 12 service points and 11 assists. Allen added 11 service points while Black tallied seven assists and six service points.

Alexandria Johnson, a junior who was recently called up to varsity, totaled 21 service points in the two matches combined to lead in that department.

"I appreciated the passing," March-Smith said. "It got better after the first. I thought Monique did (well) that first match, the setters (better) the second match. Chelsea and Monecia -- they did a better job of listening to what I was saying to them. I wanted to be 2-0, but I'll take (being) 1-1."

In the JV match, Hallsville defeated John Tyler 25-17, 25-21. The JT freshmen split their two matches, with the White team beating Chapel Hill and the Blue team losing to Hallsville. �JT returns to action Friday in the Garland Tournament.

JOHN TYLER’S Kelsey Oliver (left) and GabriElla Wilson (right) go up for a block against Hallsville’s Stephanie Bayne during their volleyball match on Tuesday at the Lions Den.
(Staff Photo By Herb Nygren Jr.)