Newberry JV Continues Dominance, Sweeps Lafayette 2-0

NEWBERRY — The Newberry JV volleyball team defeated Lafayette 2-0 on Thursday, continuing the success that the squad has had all season.

The Panthers (14-3) proved to be too much for the Hornets (0-1), as their experience and skill led them to victory.

Newberry Wins First Set Relatively Comfortably

The Panthers got out into an early lead in the first set and didn’t look back.

The final score of the set was only 25-20, but that did not really indicate what happened on the court.

Newberry was clearly the team playing more sharply, as Lafayette struggled to recover from its mistakes. Double commits and miscommunications were relatively frequent for the Hornets, and they could not escape the early hole they found themselves in during the first set.

Second Set Again Won by Newberry, But Close

The second set was a slightly different story from the first.

Although the score was 25-21, which was only one more point for Lafayette than in the first set, the play on the court was much different. Lafayette managed to rally from its initial loss in the first set, and started to play more solidly.

The Hornets got out to a 7-5 lead in the second set, but Newberry went on a run immediately after and took an 11-7 lead. A great tip by Livi Clanton was a highlight of this run by the Panthers.

The quality of the second set increased, as both teams were performing well defensively, with great digs by the back lines and consistent communication from all of the players.

Multiple long rallies sent the fans of both teams into a frenzy, with Lafayette coming out on top slightly more often. It managed to take a 16-14 lead before Newberry returned to form.

The Panthers begun to play nearly mistake-free, and Lafayette again made a few errors.

Three failed serves after a 19-19 tie swayed the second set in the Panthers’ favor, and they held on to win the set — and the match.