August 27, 2013

Sophomore duo help assistant coaches’ blue team to victory in volleyball scrimmage

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Sophomore middle hitter Kiayna O’Neal and sophomore outside hitter Sara Fairley tallied 11 kills each to help first year assistants Nikki James and Sabina Papala’s blue squad defeat head coach Shannon Mincey’s blue team 23-25, 30-28, 25-17, 25-22, 16-14 Tuesday evening.

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Sophomore middle hitter Kiayna O'Neal and sophomore outside hitter Sara Fairley tallied 11 kills each to help first year assistants Nikki James and Sabina Papala's blue squad defeat head coach Shannon Mincey's blue team 23-25, 30-28, 25-17, 25-22, 16-14 Tuesday evening.

"I have learned a lot from them," O'Neal said of James and Papala, two former middle hitters. "Nikki teaches me a lot on blocking. Sabina is who I go to for about hitting technique. It gives me a chance to learn a lot from them and take it onto the court."

Mincey has been impressed with the ability of Fairley to adapt in her second year with the team and the hard work was demonstrated during the intrasquad match-up.

"I was working on getting a lot stronger," Fairley said about how she approached the offseason. "It helped to be in the weight room a lot. Being stronger helps me hit harder and improve my overall game."

It was the first time this year that the team was able to operate in a game situation, an opportunity everyone seemed to appreciate.

"It was great," Mincey said about the overall experience. "It was good for me to observe things that we need to focus on. I enjoy watching some small details that we will need to fine tune."

The orange team was led by junior Rachel Harper, who tallied 12 kills with a hitting percentage near .200. It was just the second time in her ten year tenure that Mincey lost to her assistant coaches.

The Eagles' first match will come against Converse in the first game of the Carson-Newman classic on September 6 at 11 a.m.