PULASKI, Tenn. – Two times the Martin Methodist Volleyball team has entered the Curry Christian Life Center for a match this season.
And, after Thursday's 3-0 victory over Mid-Continent College, the RedHawks ensured they would leave the CLC with yet another win.
"This was such a huge victory for us," RedHawks head coach Rose Powell said. "Our young team really stepped up and made big plays when we needed them to. We can start to see them mature before our eyes a bit."
After a back-and-forth pace to open the first game, the RedHawks (3-7, 1-1 TranSouth) ultimately pulled away from an 8-8 score to scratch out a 25-17 victory.
A victory, Powell said, that set the tone for the rest of the match.
"When we took control of that first one, you could just see it in our eyes. Our girls were determined to pick up this win from that point on."
In the second game, the RedHawks raced out to a commanding 22-16 advantage, but nearly squandered the lead before hanging on for a 25-23 win.
In the third and final game, the RedHawks fell behind 12-9 early, but went on a 6-0 run to take a 15-12 lead and ultimately claim a 25-19 victory.
Leading the charge for the RedHawks was the trio of Ya Zhao (11 kills), Sophia Paes (21 assists) and newcomer Lais Soares (6 kills), who impressed in her RedHawks debut.
"Everyone stepped up and made big plays tonight," Powell said. "(Soares) played extremely well in her first match for us. We were excited about adding her to the lineup and she came up big for us tonight."
Jenavera Gibson recorded 13 kills in a loss for the Panthers (5-7, 0-3).
The RedHawks won't have long to savor the victory as the squad departs Friday morning for four matches at the Cumberland University Classic in Lebanon, Tenn.
While in Lebanon, the RedHawks will face Cumberland University, Campbellsville (Ky.) University, Shawnee State (Ohio) University and Union (Ky.) College.
After the dates this weekend, the RedHawks will return to TranSouth action next Tuesday when they host Freed-Hardeman University in a pivotal conference showdown.
"We're flying high right now," Powell said. "But we have some really tough matches this weekend. Our hope is that these matches will season us up and our crowd will pump us up for a big conference matchup next week."
