BAKER — It wasn’t always pretty, but the Baker School volleyball team opened District 2-1A play with a four-set win over rival Jay on Tuesday.
The Gators (3-0, 1-0) dropped the first set to the Royals 19-25 before rallying to win the last three sets 25-20, 25-17, 25-16.
Baker-Jay photo gallery>>>
Baker Coach Tommiko Parks was happy to come out with the victory, but she admitted the Gators didn’t play their best.
“Any win is always a good win,” she said, “but we also like to have good wins (where the team plays well). Tonight we battled through some things. We weren’t as sharp as we wanted to be, but we battled, and that’s always a good thing.
“When we are sharp, they can get passes, they can get sets, they can get their swing. And we communicate well. Again, we were kind of off our game a little bit, but the girls played hard.”
The longtime rivals traded scores in the early part of the first set and were tied 11-11 when the Royals took control of the set behind three straight aces by Bristin Campbell.
Jay didn’t trail again in the set in moving in front 1-0.
Jay’s lead didn’t last long.
With Taylor Brunson in serve the Gators jumped in front 5-0 in the second set and never trailed.
Hartley Moate, Ashley Black and Brittany Brunson came up with big points as Baker continued to take the battle to the Royals.
It was more of the same in set three.
A Taylor Brunson kill gave Baker a 1-0 lead. With Taylor Brunson in serve the Gators then ran off seven more unanswered to take control of the set. The closest the Royals got the rest of the set was four points at 11-7.
In the fourth set Jay put up one final stand.
The teams were tied at 8-8 after back-to-back kills by Jay’s Emily Russell.
Emily Stewart’s only kill of the night put the Gators up 9-8 and sparked a 6-0 Baker run that marked the beginning of the end for Jay.
Kelsee McGraw led Baker with six kills. Brittany Brunson and Black each had five kills and Moate had one kill.
Taylor Brunson posted a double-double with 11 aces and 10 assists. Sarah Hunley added eight assists. Lena Daoud topped Baker with 13 digs.
When all was said and done Parks said the Gators achieved their primary objective as they set their sights on a 12 consecutive district championship.
“Winning district games is first and foremost for us,” she said. “You have to win district games to get the seeding in the district tournament. Then you have to play well in the district tournament.
“We play tough games to get ready for our district and I think this will get the ball rolling.”
EmailNews Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gators win district opener (photo gallery)