Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 25, 1995 TAG: 9510250091
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Patriots had been stunned by the Knights in their second Roanoke Valley District meeting a week earlier, forcing Tuesday's playoff for the championship at William Fleming.
PH dominated this time, winning 15-5, 15-7 to take the regular-season crown and assure itself of a spot in the Group AAA Northwest Region tournament.
Cave Spring, which has lost three out of four meetings with PH including one in a tournament at Charlottesville, must battle back through the district tournament to join PH at the region.
The Patriots (13-2) scored 12 of the first 14 points in the opening game to set the tone. The big surge came on Carrie Moore's serve as the Patriots scored five points. Cave Spring scored three of the next four points, but never could get a consistent rally going.
``It was our best match in terms of total team effort,'' PH coach Marty Swan said. ``Everyone on the court did their jobs well. A lot of times we've had two players have an outstanding match and not a lot of support.''
Cave Spring's chance to rally came early in the second game of the best-of-three match, which is a change from the regular season when the winning team must take three out of five games.
The Knights scored the first four points in the second game. Then Cave Spring stalled. PH won eight of the next nine points to take the lead for good. The first five points came on Allison Suggs' serve that included great plays by Kris Carter and Moore for points.
``We weren't negative [about falling behind],'' said PH's Becca Hogan. ``We're strong enough to come back if we get our intensity back. We were serving well and playing real well.''
Hogan scored a pair of kills and that set up the final point that came when Cave Spring was called for being in the net.
Carter said she never expected a game like this.
``There was a lot of adrenaline,'' Carter said. ``Our main motivation was to beat our rivals and get even with them.''
Suggs had the game's top play when she hit a back-handed shot to score a key point in the second game.
``It's just a dump that keeps their defense off and makes it easier for our hitters to get kills,'' Suggs said.
Just as important was the net play of 6-foot-2 senior Gene Kent. She dominated at times with her blocks and kills.
The rivalry between PH and the Patriots' old coach, Penny Williams who moved to Cave Spring, is becoming less of a factor now that the teams have played four times.
Williams was disappointed with her squad but agreed that she had seen her old team at its best.
``They didn't make mistake, and that's how you have to play,'' Williams said. ``Our team didn't show up for the occasion. I have a philosophy that you play as good as you practice. We went through the motions [Monday], and we went through the motions tonight.''
by CNB