Lady Dragons show fight against district leader
Clinton senior Parker McGee receives a serve during action for the Lady Dragons. The 5-foot-11 middle blocker has been a force for Clinton this season, using her long reach and athleticism to make an impact at the net. (photo:Tony Cox )
“Central’s leading our district right now, and they were undefeated and had not lost a set (in district play). We did take set one, but lost in four sets,” Lady Dragons Coach Lorri Johnson said.
In the second set, Clinton fell 25-18.
“We were battling pretty tough back and forth and had some controversial calls, we’ll just say that, from the lines,” Johnson said.
“They called a touch on a ball we didn’t come close to touching that had sailed way out of bounds,” she said. “And, you know, instead of being 17-16, now it’s 18-15 (Central ahead). You know, it was a game changer.
“We were battling back and forth,” Johnson said. “We still didn’t [lie] down and die, but we just weren’t able to recover after all of that. But we definitely showed improvement from the first time we played them, and they know we’re coming after them. We’ve got a District 3-AAA tournament where we hope to meet them again, you know, in the finals.”
Entering this week, Clinton’s overall record was 13-7 and its district mark was 5-3.
“So anyway, that being said, we’ve got to learn from it and move on,” Johnson said.
Oak Ridge
“Yeah, we went into Oak Ridge and we took care of business,” Johnson said of the 3-0 sweep. “We got ahead, we stayed ahead, we pressed all the way through.
“We went in with the attitude, ‘We’re going to win this.’ And we served well, we hit well, we blocked well, we dug. And my girls hustle,” she added. “We’re all over the place.”
Top players
At 5-foot-11, senior middle blocker Parker McGee “is a head above the rest in her ability to put the ball down,” Johnson said.
“And her long arms and long legs — she touches 10 feet,” Johnson said. “She’s hitting .376 for the season. And that’s an outstanding number, a solid number.”
Senior Jaylee Rodd also continues to make an impact as a setter and right-side hitter.
“Jaylee Rodd is also a senior, and she is as quick as a cat, and nobody out-hustles her on any team anywhere,” Johnson said. “She’s hitting .268, not bad at all.
“And then, you know, of course she digs the ball and she sets the ball fast,” the coach added. “She has fast hands, and she could really be an addition to a college team if she decided she wanted to play. She and Parker both could, but right now they’re not leaning toward playing in college.”
Junior Addison Powell, a standout at the junior varsity level, also is contributing when called upon by the varsity.
“I put her in last night for a little bit to, you know, get her feet wet a little bit and to help maybe connect a little better with our hitters,” Johnson said.
Powell also helped Clinton win the JV match at Oak Ridge 2-1.
