BARBOURVILLE — Knox Central showed its ability to dominate and its ability to battle from behind Thursday, sweeping North Laurel in straight sets, 25-13, 26-24 and 25-21.
The Lady Panthers controlled the opening set, cruising to a 25-13 victory before finding themselves in a much different situation during the second.
North Laurel built a lead of seven points, but Knox Central refused to let the Lady Jaguars even the match. The Lady Panthers rallied to pull out a 26-24 victory before finishing the sweep with a 25-21 win in the third.
“I’m really pleased with my girls tonight,” Knox Central coach Erin Salyers said. “We got straight to business in the first set and came out strong. In the second set, we made quite a few errors and found ourselves in a hole. At one point, North had about a seven-point lead on us. I called a timeout, and we decided right then to fix it.
“My girls responded exactly how I wanted them to,” she added. “They fought their way back and pulled out a close 26-24 win. That showed me a lot about their fight and composure. In the third set, I think we got a little too comfortable once we built a lead, but we were still able to finish the match.”
Salyers said the Lady Panthers understand the expectations she has for them and was pleased with how they responded when things weren’t going their way.
“These girls know what kind of coach I am,” she said. “I hold them accountable. I know what this team is capable of, and I have high expectations for them. “There are always things we can clean up, but I’m proud of the way they responded when things weren’t going our way tonight.”
Blakely Castle and Amelia Ledford were two players Salyers singled out following the victory.
Castle, Knox Central’s setter, provided an offensive threat at the net in addition to running the Lady Panthers’ attack.
“I’m especially proud of Blakely Castle and Amelia Ledford,” Salyers said. “Blakely is my setter, and I love how aggressive she is. She did a great job recognizing open spots on the court and taking advantage of them, and she picked up several kills tonight. I want my setter to be a threat at the net, and she definitely was tonight.
“Amelia is my senior libero, and her energy is unmatched,” she added. “She brings it every single day, whether it’s practice or a game. She ran our defense well tonight and hustled her heart out. She is the kind of player every coach wants on their team.”
