BRATT — In what has become a passage of fall Baker School’s volleyball team continued in a Gator tradition Thursday. The Gators won a district championship.
For the, record the championship makes it a Baker’s dozen – that’s 13 straight. This year’s victim was Jay. This year’s tournament was played at Northview.
The Gators won in straight sets by scores of 25-16, 25-8, 25-17.
The match was close for about 10 minutes, or as long as it took Baker to get warmed up. The Gators experienced no let downs or lack of focus as they did in the third set of Tuesday’s semifinal match with Laurel Hill.
“Tonight, with it being the championship, we wanted to stay on it (the attack),” senior Brittany Brunson said. “We just wanted to get on their throats and stomp it and try to play the best we can.”
The first set was tied 9-9 when the Gators (15-10) found that extra gear. A Royal serving error started the Baker rally, but Ashley Black’s hand print was all over it for the Gators.
Black had four of her team-best nine kills down the stretch of the first set as the Gators took control of the set and match.
“Tonight just clicked for me,” Black said. “Everything seemed to be going right.”
Baker poured it on in the second set cruising to a 17-point win to go up 2-0 in the match.
Taylor Brunson, Ayajah Coleman and Emily Stewart continued the torrid attack for the Gators.
“We played hard and put the pedal to the metal from the very beginning,” Taylor Brunson said. “We fought through the whole time and didn’t let up on them. I think we played a good game.”
Jay tried to keep it close in the third set, but the Gators didn’t lose their focus as the kept their sights set on another run in the playoffs and what they hope will be the first state championship that has eluded the school for so long.
Several Baker players had a big match.
Taylor Brunson had three aces to go along with 20 assists and six kills. Brittany Brunson had four kills and six digs.
Emily Stewart had six kills. Her younger sister, Lindsey, had eight assists. Coleman was a force at the net with four blocks and seven kills.
Coach Tommiko Parks was able to check the district title of her list and was ready to focus on the next step toward a title.
“It’s now win or go home,” she said.” The first goal is always the district championship. We’ve done that and we have to win to keep playing.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gator volleyball team makes it a Baker's dozen (PHOTOS)