SPRINGDALE -- A pair of first-year volleyball coaches are seeking a conference championship in 4A-1.
Both lead established programs coming off relatively down seasons.
But both showed Tuesday they'll be among the favorites for that conference title in two months, though perhaps one more than the other.
Nathan Bodenstein's Shiloh Christian team swept Lindsey Layes' Prairie Grove squad 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-13) in conference play Tuesday night in Champions Gymnasium.
Despite the sweep, Bodenstein said the Lady Tigers were as good a competition as his 9-1 team has faced so far.
"They shut down our outsides, credit to them," Bodenstein said. "Our middles came to play today. Tori Richards, one of our two seniors, she really stepped up and we were a force in the middle."
As good as Prairie Grove's defense was, attack errors and violations ruined winning chances. Shiloh Christian scored 23 of its 50 points over the first two games from Lady Tigers' miscues.
After trailing 6-2 early in the second game, Prairie Grove reeled off eight of the next nine points to take a 10-7 lead. On the 18th point, the teams exchanged a lengthy rally -- about two whole minutes -- before Shiloh Christian's Anna Gookin finally ended it with a kill. The Lady Saints recaptured the lead, fought off one final Prairie Grove challenge when the teams were tied at 17, and finally put the Lady Tigers away in the third game.
"Our blocks did a great job slowing down those outside hits," Layes said. "Defensively we did a pretty good job. We just could never get an offensive rhythm. It was a fun game. I wish the score reflected more of how it was played."
Prairie Grove won five games last season before having to forfeit four of those wins. That came off a year the Lady Tigers advanced to the state semifinals. Shiloh Christian was a Class 5A semifinalist last season.
Bodenstein's team has visions of advancing that far. He was happy with his team's performance Tuesday all things considered. A few clean-ups are necessary but that's to be expected with a first-year head coach just 10 games into the season and with a team missing two starters, he said.
"I'm challenging them to be creative on offense, run some offensive plays, faster sets. Still in the middle of that. It's still getting there," Bodenstein said. "There's a lot of pressure on ourselves this year to pretty much be perfect in conference, that's our goal. Every day we come in thinking of that."
Sports on 09/10/2014