BAKER — There is a method to what seems to be the madness of the Baker School volleyball team’s early season schedule. Why else would Coach Tommiko Parks have her Class 1A Gators hosting 6A Choctaw on Tuesday?
It’s not that Parks is a glutton for punishment as the Gators are usually the team punishing the opposition.
“Early in the season you like to schedule teams that are tough, and Choctaw’s tough,” she said. “They got big blockers. They’ve got big hitters.
“We try to schedule games that will allow us to see different kinds of offenses and different kinds of teams. Playing Choctaw was an added bonus for us.”
That bonus should come later in the season when the Gators face off against schools closer to their own size. Tuesday’s match was, well, a mismatch as the Indians flexed their muscle sweeping the Gators 3-0 by scores of 25-15, 25-15, 25-11.
“We always like to play as well as we can,” Parks said. “There were some thing we normally do well that we didn’t do well. It’s a learning experience.
“It’s important for us to understand we need these types of games to improve our game.”
The Indians wasted no time in establishing control of things at the net. Alyssa Sehman, Morgahn Fingall, Evelina Teran and Kassandra Fairly gave the Gators fits at the net all night.
A Brittany Brunson kill for Baker (2-1) early in the first set tied things up at 3-3. Three quick points by Choctaw gave the Indians some breathing room.
The Gators were able to pull within a point of the Indians at 8-7. A 4-0 Choctaw run extended the lead once and for all. The closest the Gators got the rest of the set was 18-15 on a Taylor Brunson kill.
The second and third sets played out much like the first set. Choctaw took a quick 6-1 lead in the second set before the Gators evened things up at 7-7. A 7-2 run by Choctaw put the Indians in front for good.
Choctaw scored 16 straight points to start the third set. A score by Emily Stewart temporarily broke the moment of the Indians.
Baker did outscore Choctaw 11-9 during the final stretch of the match, but it was too little, too late.
Choctaw 3, Baker 0
Scores: 25-15, 25-15, 25-11
Baker stats: Jessica Black 2 aces, 6 assists, 3 digs, 1 kill; Lena Daoud 16 digs; Brittany Brunson 1 ace, 4 digs, 2 kills; Emily Stewart 1 ace, 1 block, 8 digs, 2 kills; Taylor Brunson 5 assists, 4 digs, 5 kills; Whitley Taylor 1 dig; Ayajah Coleman 1 kill; Ashley Block 1 block, 1 kill.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Indians too strong for Baker (PHOTOS)