NEW PALESTINE – With its most experienced roster since its formation three seasons ago, the New Palestine boys volleyball team hopes to have a successful season.
Step 1 in making that happen took place inside the New Palestine Gymnasium on Monday night.
The Dragons (1-0) defeated Covenant Christian (0-1) 3-1 in the season opener.
“It’s great to start the season with a win. It’s a good confidence boost for the guys,” New Palestine head coach Amy Schreiber-Roan said. “We played pretty nervous and had some first-game jitters I think, but we started to get in rhythm at times.”
The nervousness of the first match was seen in all four of the sets.
In the three sets the Dragons won they fought back from an early deficit, and in the lone set they lost, the Dragons squandered an early lead of their own.
The first three sets were decided by a combined seven points, with the Dragons taking the opening two 25-23 and 25-22, and the Warriors taking Set 3, 26-24.
“It kind of gives us the experience of battling which is really important early on,” Schreiber-Roan said. “It was a little too much of a battle for my liking, but it’s good for the team to see early that they can struggle and still pull out a win.”
In Set 1, New Palestine fell behind 7-3 and later trailed 15-10 before making a push.
Sparked by a kill and block by middle hitter Chase Emberton, the Dragons scored seven of the next nine points to tie the match at 17.
The Warriors went ahead 22-21, but three straight points by junior outside hitter Daysen Wood put the Dragons ahead and closed out the opening set.
The Dragons win in Set 2 looked the same.
Kills by three different Covenant Christian players led to a quick 6-0 lead.
Down 11-10, a block by Cade Rodgers tied the game for New Palestine and a point on the next play put the Dragons ahead for good.
Later in the set, Rodgers made it 16-13 with a kill, Jaxon Hinkle kept the lead at three, 18-15, with a kill, and Emberton had an ace to push the New Palestine lead to 23-17.
Kills by Covenant Christian’s Ryan Burris and Copper Sherrill cut the lead to one, 23-22, but a service error by the Warriors and an ace by the Dragons Kameron Engle put the Dragons ahead 2-0.
“We have more experience on this varsity squad than we have had the last two years which helps tremendously,” Schreiber-Roan said. “They have much higher volleyball IQ than they’ve had in the past and it’s just knowing where to put the ball away when necessary.”
In the third set, New Palestine grabbed a quick lead for the first time all night.
A Wood kill and a few New Pal blocks led to a 6-0 advantage, but the Warriors answered with seven of the next eight points.
Dragon errors allowed the Warriors back into the set, and they took full advantage.
Covenant Christian grabbed its first lead, 9-8, on a Burris kill, and the set went back-and-forth the rest of the way.
A Hinkle kill and ace tied it at 23-23, but another Burris kill put the Warriors back in front. After the Dragons tied it again, an Isaac Crane kill and a Noah Cooper ace sealed the set for the visitors.
“We were off to a great start. I don’t know if we relaxed, or if it was just us having a lull in serve receive,” Schreiber-Roan said. “We were struggling with passing and getting the ball to [our setter].”
To close out the home opener the Dragons erased another deficit.
After grabbing the lead on the first point off of a Dontae Thompson kill, New Palestine gave up the next two points and trailed the rest of the way until consecutive blocks by Emberton gave the Dragons a 16-15 lead.
New Palestine outscored the Warriors 9-3 the rest of the way led by points from Wood, Engle, Hinkle, Thompson and Emberton.
Emberton had an all-around productive night for the Dragons with, unofficially, seven kills, four blocks and four aces. Wood finished with eight kills, three blocks and two aces.
The Dragons are back in action Tuesday at home at 7 p.m. against Southport.
