BAKER — Two-time defending Class 1A volleyball champion Sneads was in the house at the Baker School gymnasium Saturday as the Gators hosted the Pirates in the Region 1-1A finals.
As is the case more often than not, the better team won. The better team Saturday was the Pirates who flexed their muscle sweeping the Gators 25-20, 25-18, 25-18.
“We prepared from the first day of practice – we knew that we would be here at this point and time,” Baker coach Tommiko Parks said. “We knew what we had to do. Unfortunately, we didn’t execute as well as we thought we should have.
“But Sneads is an excellent team. The things they do, they do well and that means you have to be that much more on top of your game.”
Sneads (24-6) made a state to start the first set with a 6-0 run with Ashlyn Roberts in serve.
Roberts’ serve can best be described as a cross between a slider and a knuckle curve in baseball. It comes in low and hard and takes a nasty break at the end.
The quick Pirate start was a sign of things to come. Baker’s first point came on a net violation for Sneads.
At one point it was 10-1 in the first set, but the Gators (16-11) wouldn’t go away. Emily Stewart and Ayajah Coleman led a Gator comeback that saw Baker cut the Sneads’ lead to 24-20 before a kill by Madison Pickens finished off the set.
The Gators never threatened Sneads in the second set as the Pirates opened up a 9-1 lead and cruised on to the win to go up 2-0 in the match.
Baker did its best to hold onto the home court in the third set. A net violation by Sneads and an Ashley Black kill for Baker put the Gators up 2-0. But the Pirates came back taking a 3-2 lead and never trailed again.
Baker was able to tie the set at 3-3, 10-10, 11-11, 13-13 and 14-14, before Pirates pulled away to take the match.
Emily Stewart led Baker with six kills. Lindsey Stewart had eight assists and two digs.
Taylor Brunson, Coleman, Black and Railey Conner each had two kills.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Sneads ends Baker's volleyball season (PHOTOS)