BARBOURVILLE — Kennadi Jones delivered seven straight service points to help Knox Central escape a tight opening set before the Lady Panthers took control and swept Barbourville, 25-23, 25-10, 25-13.
Knox Central had to battle through a slow start in the first set, with Barbourville pushing the Lady Panthers throughout. Jones stepped to the service line at a crucial point and helped Knox Central close out the 25-23 win.
The Lady Panthers settled in from there.
Freshmen Charis Frederick and Ava Brown helped Knox Central take control at the net during a dominant 25-10 second-set victory. Blakely Castle provided an aggressive presence at setter, while Milli Ledford anchored the defense.
Knox Central finished off the sweep with a 25-13 victory in the third set.
“I am so proud of my girls and the way they played tonight,” Knox Central coach Erin Salyers said. “We got off to a rough start, and I could tell the girls were nervous. We were making some silly mistakes that we had to clean up, but once we settled in, we started playing our game. Kennadi Jones stepped up big for us at the service line and served seven points to help us close out that first set, 25-23. I was really pleased with the way the girls battled through that slow start instead of letting it get the best of them.
“We came out hot in the second set. Charis Frederick and Ava Brown, both freshmen, were dominating at the net,” she added. “I was also really pleased with Milli Ledford and Blakely Castle tonight. Blakely did a great job seeing what was open and taking the opportunity to score. I love having an aggressive setter. Milli didn’t let much hit the floor and did a great job running our defense. Rayni Reeves, Hailey Welch, and Madi Hubbard also gave us a lot of hustle tonight. Overall, this was an awesome team win, and I’m proud of the effort the girls gave from start to finish. It’s also very clear that Coach Strunk has been putting in the work with her girls. They came ready to compete and really challenged us, especially in that first set. We’re back in action tomorrow against Jackson County.”
