The Pender Patriots will face off against the Clinton Dark Horses at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Pender is coming into the contest on a six-game losing streak.
Pender came up short against Heide Trask on Wednesday, falling 3-0.
While Pender was kept off the board, it wasn't for a lack of trying: they cut into Heide Trask's winning margin in every set. The match finished with set scores of 25-13, 25-16, 25-23.
Despite their defeat, Pender saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jensen Bordeaux, who had 14 digs and five kills, was perhaps the best of all. Charleigh Rivenbark was another key player, getting nine digs and five kills.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Clinton, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Southwest Onslow with a sharp 3-0 victory on Thursday.
Not only was the match a shutout, it was a big one: Clinton took every set by at least ten points. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-7, 25-15, 25-12.
Clinton's win came from a few key players Pender will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Cameron Marshburn, who had 22 digs. She has been hot for a while, having posted 12 or more digs the last 11 times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Nellie Bass, who had 13 kills, three digs, and two aces.
Pender's loss dropped their record down to 4-12. As for Clinton, they pushed their record up to 9-6 with the win, which was their third straight at home.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Tuesday's matchup: Pender has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 5.4 aces per game. However, it's not like Clinton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.8 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Pender might still be hurting after the 3-0 defeat they got from Clinton in their previous matchup on September 11th. Will the Patriots have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other volleyball content.
