Volleyball Game Preview: New Albany Eagles vs. Thomas Worthington CARDINALS

The New Albany Eagles will take on the Thomas Worthington CARDINALS at 12:00 p.m. on Friday. New Albany will be looking to extend their current eight-game winning streak.

New Albany is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They were the clear victors by a 3-0 margin over Lincoln.

Meanwhile, Thomas Worthington faced Hilliard Davidson in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The CARDINALS blew past the Wildcats 3-0. The CARDINALS haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.

New Albany better focus on containing Drew Barnes and Annav Samrat as the pair were huge in Thomas Worthington's win. Barnes had 13 digs and one assist, while Samrat had 11 digs and three assists. Those 11 digs gave Samrat a new career-high.

New Albany's victory bumped their record up to 17-8. As for Thomas Worthington, their win bumped their record up to 21-4.

Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's match: New Albany has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 7 aces per game. However, it's not like Thomas Worthington struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.5 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

New Albany might still be hurting after the 3-0 loss they got from Thomas Worthington in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.