Story and Photos by Rusty Ellis
The Cookeville Lady Cavs took down heated rival White County on Thursday night by a final score of 3-0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-23).
Both teams battled back-and-forth through a close opening set that saw several lead changes, but it was the Lady Cavs who powered through two consecutive volleys for a 1-0 lead at the end of the first.
After falling behind by double-digits in the second set, White County battled back to trim the lead down to 24-16, but Cookeville quickly put them away for a 2-0 lead. The third set was more of the same and the Warriorettes battled to the final point, but it was the Lady Cavs who came away with a 3-0 victory over a heated district rival.
While the team earned a good district victory, head coach Lucas Martin said that events surrounding high school sports as a whole prevailed in his mind.
“I don’t think anyone’s playing with a normal roster right now, and it’s hard,” Martin said. “You’re making subs and letting other people play…you’re just trying to make the best of it right now and hopefully make it to the end of the season.”
As far as the game was concerned, Martin says he believes his girls caught a sense of urgency once White County started making their second-set run.
“Most of it’s just them realizing they have to play the whole set,” Martin said. “They’ll get relaxed from time to time thinking it’s in the bag…when the other team plays well and they aren’t playing at their best, the other team is going to be in the set.”
In his first season as the head coach, Martin says he’s focusing on emphasizing a long-term mindset with his athletes and preparing them for the grind of the postseason.
“Our emphasis has been self-care,” Martin said. “Take care of yourself and stay healthy…all that matters is that we are healthy and playing our best at the end of the season.”
