The Watkins Memorial Warriors will play host again on Tuesday to welcome the Licking Valley Panthers, where the match is scheduled at 7:00 p.m. Watkins Memorial will be strutting in after a victory while Licking Valley will be coming in after a defeat.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Watkins Memorial finally turned things around against Granville on Thursday. They skirted past the Blue Aces 3-2.
Watkins Memorial took Granville into a fifth set where they got it done with a three-point win. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 18-25, 25-23, 25-19, 23-25, 15-12.
Watkins Memorial had a senior duo take command as Lizzie Bricker had 26 digs and two aces and Michelle Downs had 17 digs and two aces. Those 26 digs set a new season-high mark for Bricker.
Watkins Memorial was lethal from the service line and finished the game with 14 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least five aces in 15 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, Licking Valley's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They took a 3-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of Licking Heights. While the Panthers didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Hornets 25-21 in the first period.
Licking Valley 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 20-25, 25-21, 25-12, 25-23.
Despite their defeat, Licking Valley saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Kendall Tucker, who had 15 digs and two aces, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Sophia Stokes, who had 12 digs and four aces.
Watkins Memorial's win bumped their record up to 7-13. As for Licking Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 10-9.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Tuesday's contest: Watkins Memorial has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 10.4 aces per game. However, it's not like Licking Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.2. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Watkins Memorial came up short against Licking Valley in their previous matchup back in September, falling 3-1. Will Watkins Memorial have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other volleyball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
