Lady Dragons heat up as postseason nears
Clinton’s Hannah Harvey locks in on a dig attempt during the Lady Dragons’ matchup against Anderson County. (photo:Ellie Hatmaker )
The two-time defending District 3-AAA champion Lady Dragons opened this week with a hard-fought nonleague victory, outlasting the Knoxville Trailblazers in five sets Monday night in Knoxville.
Clinton (18-10, 6-3) prevailed 18-25, 25-14, 17-25, 25-13, 15-10 against the Trailblazers, a strong home-school program gearing up for its national tournament.
“The Trailblazers are a home-school team and they’re really good,” Clinton coach Lorri Johnson said. “They’re preparing for their national tournament. There are several home-school teams in Knoxville, but the Trailblazers are probably the best.”
Senior standout Josie Moody paced Clinton with 14 kills, 18 assists and an ace. Parker McGhee added 11 kills, four blocks and three aces, while freshman Chloe Barrett had eight kills and three blocks. Macy Wandell finished with six digs and five aces, and freshman Alaina Stoudenmaier recorded 20 assists and two aces.
The Lady Dragons also swept both of their district matches last week, cruising past Campbell County and defeating rival Anderson County in four sets to split the season series.
“We’re starting to get to where we need to be,” Johnson said. “I’ve tinkered with the lineup and our younger kids are getting used to the speed of the high school game. We have two more weeks of tough matches and practices to get ready before the district tournament.”
Clinton rolled past Campbell County on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 25-16, 25-14, 25-4. Moody had 11 kills, two blocks, 12 assists and 12 digs. McGhee added six kills and two blocks, while Jailie Rodd served four aces.
Two nights later, Clinton dropped the opening set to Anderson County before storming back for an 18-25, 25-20, 25-15, 25-13 win. Moody registered 17 kills, McGhee had 10, Wandell notched six and Maggie Moke added five.
The Lady Dragons faced Powell on Tuesday. Results were not available at press time. They will visit Gibbs on Thursday.
