CONWAY -- High school teammates Emily Doss and Klaire Trainor said they never panicked with the West All-Stars trailed the East All-Stars 2-0 in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star volleyball game at the Farris Center on Wednesday night.
The recent Springdale Har-Ber graduates rallied the West for a 3-2 victory, playing most of the final three sets in the comeback. Doss was named the West outstanding player while Trainor was named MVP for the game.
"I wasn't sad about it or anything. I had confidence in our team, and we have had real good chemistry these past few days,'' said Doss, who was playing on her future home court at the University of Central Arkansas. "It helped that I had teammates from high school out here and some from our club so we've had chemistry for a while. It's been like eight years we've played together."
Doss, who played libero, notched 30 digs. Trainor posted 17 kills and eight digs.
"I had no doubt in my mind that we were going to come back,'' said Trainor, who is planning to walk on at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. "I think we just had nerves early, but Emily and I have been playing together a long time so I knew we were going to come back."
A third Har-Ber teammate, Arika Johnson, also contributed in the victory with 5 kills, 8 digs and 27 assists. Paris' Lycia Peevy, who is headed to Arkansas State University for basketball, had 13 kills and a .478 hitting percentage.
The East, behind the play of team MVP Sara Betts of Marion, won the first two games with ease. Betts, headed to ASU for volleyball, had 13 kills and a .360 hitting percentage.
After 25-19, 25-20 victories, the East fell behind 13-4 in the third set and never recovered. The West closed 25-19, 25-17, 15-8.
The East had won three consecutive and five of the past six all-star matches.
Sports on 06/23/2017