Lawson-Led Hixson Sweeps Silverdale In Prep Volleyball

Lady Wildcats Senior Turns In Dominating Effort

  • Monday, August 31, 2015
  • Larry Fleming
Hixson senior Paige Lawson (4) blasts one of her 13 kills past two Silverdale Baptist Academy players, including Katie Patrick (11), during their non-district volleyball match on Monday. Hixson won, 3-0.
Hixson senior Paige Lawson (4) blasts one of her 13 kills past two Silverdale Baptist Academy players, including Katie Patrick (11), during their non-district volleyball match on Monday. Hixson won, 3-0.
photo by Dennis Norwood

When Paige Lawson takes over a volleyball match, just sit back and take it in.

Lawson had impressive stretches in the first two games and dominated the third while leading Hixson’s Lady Wildcats to a 3-0 sweep of injury-depleted Silverdale Baptist Academy on Monday at Silverdale.

Hixson (8-4) won by game scores of 25-17, 27-25 and 25-21.

“Paige is a complete player,” Hixson coach Janet Tate said. “She can play defense; she can set the ball, and kill the ball. She just loves to play the game.”

The Lady Wildcats rallied from a 19-12 deficit in the second game and then subdued the Lady Seahawks in the finale when Lawson outscored the opponent 9-3 to turn a 16-13 Silverdale lead into a 22-19 Hixson advantage.

Lawson scored on a soft-touch winner, a slam the Lady Seahawks could not return and a rocket kill to start the spree. Silverdale still led at 18-16, but Lawson again went on a run, scoring six of the game’s next seven points.

Hixson led 22-19 when the smoke cleared.

“When I’m hitting the ball well, I can feel it and usually can get on a run like that,” Lawson said.

Lawson was spectacular throughout the match.

She led the Lady Wildcats with 13 kills, 20 digs, four blocked shots and was 16-of-19 on serves, including nine aces.

Some of her kills were rockets. Some zipped past SBA players, or off them, like lasers.

SBA coach Nathan Daugherty praised Lawson’s play, but could only wonder if the game would have been different had starters Kayleigh Page and Jordan Cooper had not been injured.

“That was a huge factor,” Daugherty said. “(Lawson) is a good player, but it hurt us not having Kayleigh up there blocking or Jordan on the back passing. Between the two of them we might have shut some of that down or at least combatted it a little better.”

A third injured SBA player, Lauren Gray, also missed Monday’s match.

It will be interesting to see how Lawson and her teammates do on Tuesday when Central invades Hixson’s gym for an early season District 6-AA showdown.

“It’s going to be a good one,” Tate said.

The Lady Purple Pounders will certainly have to account for Lawson, no matter her position on the court. She’s deadly at the net. Her jump-serves have as much velocity as kills for many players in the area.

(Silverdale) has a really good passing team, but we kept playing with high energy and I think that carried us through this match,” Lawson said. “I want to make the most of my senior year and I believe we’re going to have a good season.”

Silverdale led the first game 8-7, but came up with back-to-back unforced errors that gave Hixson a 9-8 lead. Lawson then scored four straight points on serve, with one ace, and Courtney Jones had a winner that pushed the Lady Wildcats’ lead to 14-8.

The Lady Seahawks trimmed their deficit to 22-17, but Hixson’s Dakota Rawiszer hit a slam off two SBA players, Tatyona Staten scored on an off-balanced shot – she had nine kills – and Rawiszer got the game-winning service point.

The second game turned into an exchange of short scoring bursts by each team.

Leading 10-8, Silverdale’s Gracie Pierce scored on a slam, Hayden Barton added a service points, Emma Dale had a kill, Barton’s serve hit the net to give Hixson a point and then Pierce came up with a shot just inside the sideline that Hixson allowed to fall. That gave SBA a 14-9 lead.

Pierce recorded 34 digs, Barton had four aces and Dale finished with six kills.

After Hixson scored twice, the Lady Seahawks put up five of the next six points – Dale had a soft punch and a kill inside the left sideline and SBA had a 19-12 advantage.

The Lady Wildcats scored off a SBA netted serve and Lawson had a left-handed, cross-court punch and a tap inside the left sideline and Hixson was within 19-15. Silverdale’s Barton, Caroline Couch and Elise Pearson each scored to push the lead to 22-15.

Lawson scored three of the next four points on a kill and two service points and Jones added a kill and Hixson climbed to within 22-19.

SBA was up 23-22, but committed two unforced errors. Hixson miscued at the game was tied at 24-all. SBA netted a serve and Hixson had a misplay to tie the game at 25-25.

Hixson scored on Silverdale’s serve that found the net and a service point to win the game.

“When we stop communicating we can get down,” Lawson said. “Once we start talking we can pull back together and push the points.”

Hixson led early in the third game until Silverdale (6-7) scored four straight points to grab a 12-10 lead – Dale scored on a kill and a tap at the net to cap the spurt.

After Lawson riddled the Lady Seahawks with her game-changing scoring spree, Silverdale cut its third-game deficit to 22-21, but Hixson’s Jones had a slam, Staten a tap and SBA’s Pierce’s return shot hit the net to give the Lady Wildcats a match-ending 25-21 victory.

Statistics

Hixson

Paige Lawson – 9 aces, 13 kills, 20 digs, 4 blocks

Bailey Burba – 2 aces, 1 kill, 9 digs, 8 assists

Morghan White – 2 kills, 7 digs, 18 assists

Tatyona Staten – 9 kills, 2 digs, 3 blocks

Courtney Jones – 7 kills, 1 dig

Dakota Rowiszer – 5 kills, 4 digs

Haleigh Raber – 18 digs.

Rachel Cline – 6 digs.

Kiera Taylor – 1 kill

Silverdale Baptist Academy

Caroline Couch – 9 assists, 4 kills, 3 aces

Elise Pearson – 1 assist, 3 kills, 1 ace

Gracie Pierce – 34 digs, 2 assists, 4 kills, 1 ace

Falyn Blalock – 10 assists, 3 kills

Emma Dale – 6 blocks, 1 kill, .5 block

Hayden Barton , 3 kills, 4 aces

Katie Patrick – 1 kill, 2.5 blocks

(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)

Gracie Pierce of Silverdale goes up for an off-balance shot against Hixson on Monday. Pierce and the Lady Seahawks came up short in a 3-0 loss to the Lady Wildcats at Silverdale.
Gracie Pierce of Silverdale goes up for an off-balance shot against Hixson on Monday. Pierce and the Lady Seahawks came up short in a 3-0 loss to the Lady Wildcats at Silverdale.
photo by Dennis Norwood
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