Volleyball Preview: Northern Nash Knights vs. Rocky Mount Gryphons
Northern Nash has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the Rocky Mount Gryphons at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Given that both suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Northern Nash is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Southern Nash just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Tuesday. They fell just short of the Firebirds by a score of 3-2. While the Knights didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Firebirds 25-23 in the first set.
Northern Nash started the match hot and won the first two sets, but they struggled down the stretch and lost the last three. The match finished with set scores of 23-25, 23-25, 25-13, 25-15, 15-9.
Meanwhile, Rocky Mount was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their 13th straight loss. They took a 3-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of Franklinton. While the Gryphons didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Red Rams 28-26 in the first set.
Rocky Mount started the match hot and won the first set, but they struggled down the stretch and lost the last three. The match finished with set scores of 26-28, 25-13, 25-8, 25-16.
Rocky Mount might have lost, but man, Braylie Phillips was a machine: she had eight digs, a kill, and 26 assists. Phillips is on a roll when it comes to assists, as she's now posted 12 or more in the last four games she's played dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Williams, who had 11 digs.
Northern Nash's defeat dropped their record down to 9-8. As for Rocky Mount, their loss dropped their record down to 2-16.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday's game: Northern Nash has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 9.8 aces per game. However, it's not like Rocky Mount struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.3. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Northern Nash took their victory against Rocky Mount when the teams last played back in September by a conclusive 3-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Northern Nash since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
