Volleyball: Shiloh Sweeps Berryville In 4A-1 Opener

 STAFF PHOTO ANTHONY REYES • @NWATONYR Reagan Robinson of Shiloh Christian goes for a kill against Berryville on Tuesday at Shiloh Champions Gym in Springdale. The Lady Saints won 3-0.
STAFF PHOTO ANTHONY REYES • @NWATONYR Reagan Robinson of Shiloh Christian goes for a kill against Berryville on Tuesday at Shiloh Champions Gym in Springdale. The Lady Saints won 3-0.

SPRINGDALE -- Nathan Bodenstein turned to the scorer's table with an incredulous look on his face moments after an authoritative Reagan Robinson kill Tuesday night.

"That was beautiful," the first-year Shiloh Christian volleyball coach said.

How They Scored

Shiloh Christian 3, Berryville 0

Berryville^—^19^17^14

Shiloh^—^25^25^25

Robinson made several impressive plays throughout the match, finishing with a game-high 14 kills to help lead the Lady Saints to a 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-14) home win over Berryville in their 4A-1 Conference opener.

Shiloh (3-0, 1-0 4A-1) earned the victory against the defending conference champion Lady Bobcats (1-2, 0-1) despite playing without junior outside hitter Morgan Stoecklein, who is out for a few days after suffering a concussion.

The Lady Saints were up-and-down the first few sets with senior middle blocker Tori Richards sliding outside to fill Stoecklein's spot, but looked much better when Bodenstein moved Richards back to the middle in the third game. Shiloh jumped out to a 16-5 lead in the final set and substituted freely down the stretch.

"She's second on the team in kills," Bodenstein said of Stoecklein. "I'm not making excuses at all, but it's something we've had to adjust to this week. We looked better in that third set when I put (Richards) back in the middle. That's her bread and butter. Moved Morgan Martin out to the outside. Everyone got back home where they were supposed to be."

Senior Hannah Noble led Berryville with 12 kills, making a number of key plays to keep the Lady Bobcats within striking distance in the first two sets.

Berryville led twice midway through the first game, but Shiloh scored the final six points to win the set. The Lady Bobcats rallied to tie the second game at 12, but Shiloh responded with a quick 8-2 run to take control.

"I thought our passing was a lot better than it has been," Berryville coach Kristin Whetham said. "Our weakness right now is our team chemistry. I have a lot of seniors starting, but then I have sophomores starting. Those girls have never played together, ever. So our chemistry right now, we don't know what this girl's doing. We don't have that yet.

"I think as the season goes along and we become one, we'll be a lot better than what we are. I think our skill level's there."

Robinson asserted herself early in the third game, recording five kills in a span of 11 points as Shiloh pulled away. She also finished the match with 16 digs.

"Reagan's a player that I can be hard on her all the time," Bodenstein said. "And I didn't let up on her tonight. And I still look down and she has 14 kills in a game that I didn't really think she did that many things. She just makes it look easy."

Shiloh junior setter Allie Pitts had 12 assists. Sophomore Haley Richards finished with eight blocks and has 18 her last two matches.

The Lady Saints will play at Huntsville on Thursday before traveling to Little Rock to compete in the Spikefest tournament Saturday.

Sports on 09/03/2014

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