ISLE OF WIGHT
Two Western Tidewater volleyball teams took to the court on Monday for an out-of-conference and division match with the Div. II home team coming out on top in straight sets.

The Isle of Wight Academy Lady Chargers had been on a three-game losing streak when the Div. III Southampton Academy Lady Raiders visited, while SA had been on a two-game winning streak.

The Lady Raiders jumped out by a point in the first set but quickly fell behind 1-9 before scoring their next point. However, shortly after SA’s Head Coach Crystal Butler called a timeout, the Lady Raiders returned the favor and went on a long run. They evened it up at 9-all with Jordan Marks tapping it over where a Lady Charger couldn’t get under it.

The teams evened it up again at 10, 11, 12 and 13 before IWA started to pull away and ultimately won the set 25-17.

In the next set, the Lady Chargers would start out scoring the first 7 points. The Lady Raiders then put together a run, but Ashley Petroski broke that momentum with a couple of timely kills to put IWA up 11-3. SA would go on a couple of runs to close the gap at 17-10, and then again at 16-21, but that’s as close as they got as IWA put it away 25-18.

In the final set, the Lady Raiders came out strong early, going up 4-1 before IWA got back into it at 5-all. SA would again string together some points, going up 10-5, but again the Lady Chargers closed the gap at 12-all and started to pull ahead. The closest the Lady Raiders got again was 16-15 IWA, as the Lady Chargers ultimately put it away 25-19.

For IWA, Nani Castillo had 8 aces and a 100 percent serving rate; Petroski had 6 kills; Carson Saunders had 6 kills and 3 blocks; Myranda Waugh had 10 assists; Trish Webb had 4 digs; and Maddie Ek had 3 aces and 4 kills.

On the other side of the net, Mason Pope had 3 aces, 4 blocks and 2 kills; Allison Matthews had 7 digs; and Haley Drewry had 2 aces.

Lady Charger Head Coach Jessica Brock felt that her team could have played better against the smaller division team, but she still thought it was a good non-conference win.

In VISAA Metro conference play, the Lady Chargers are in the seventh spot with a 3-8 conference record. IWA is in 13th place in the Division II region.

In the VISAA Commonwealth Conference, the Lady Raiders are in a close battle with Kenston Forest and Fuqua School for the first spot, all at 8-2. SA is in seventh place in the Division III region.