The Lady Bucs put on a show over the weekend. They had two tough games. The first match on Friday night was against Belmont University. They rallied back to win in five with the scores of 27-30, 21-30, 30-27, 30-26, and 17-15.
The team came out a little slow in the first two games allowing 36 kills. “We were nervous when we came out. This was a big game tonight. We came back focused and won,” Nani Emerson said.
Emerson gave 59 assists to her teammates. Jennifer Sartor led with 19 kills, Crystal Palmer helped with 17 of her own, and Sarah Buhr put in 15 kills. “They were the reason we won. They had an amazing night. Our passing also helped in the win,” said Lindsey Devine, head coach.
Palmer did have some kills that escaped the lines. “She doesn’t know her own strength sometimes. We just settled her down and she did much better,” Devine said.
Being in first place is a nice feeling. “We are going to celebrate tonight and focus on Lipscomb tomorrow. They are not a team to be taken lightly,” Devine said. Lipscomb was undefeated until their loss against Belmont.
The team came together and won. “Passing and defense were the two keys to our success tonight. We have another big game tomorrow, so we are going to celebrate and get to bed early,” Emerson said.
Buhr agreed. “We know how to win. We have the confidence and heart to show the other team that we are not going to lose,” she said.
Saturday’s match against Lipscomb began with honoring the seniors. After the starting lineups a surprise treat was given to the fans, the Canadian national anthem was sung along with the U.S. national anthem. Sartor, one of the four seniors recognized Sunday, is from Toronto, Canada.
The Lady Bucs impressed their parents and fans again as they swept Lipscomb in three straight with the scores of 32-30, 30-28, and 30-24.
They broke two records in one day. The first was the winning streak of 10 games. They have now won 11 straight games and are still undefeated in conference play. The other was Kaena Apana’s 31 digs, setting a conference record for a three-game match.
Apana changed the momentum of the game with a huge save that turned into a point for the Bucs. “She just reads the ball well. That was a huge save for us, she seems like she is everywhere on the floor,” Devine said.
The seniors came out big again with Sartor having 15 kills, Palmer with 10 and Buhr with eight. Sartor also had five assisted blocks. Emerson gave out 44 assists.
“They bring so much to the game. That is why they are called leaders. They do what they are supposed to do,” Devine said of the seniors.
Heading on the road next week the Bucs are not looking for easy wins. “We just have to play hard and do our best,” Devine said.
Emerson agreed. “We just take things one game at a time. We have a good road record. Although it might be tough with our first place stand, it should be fun either way,” she said.
Sartor mentioned that it was nice to see family at the game. “Being a senior and playing in front of your parents is great. But, next week we need to just keep playing the way that we are playing and get things done. I am so proud of the team this year. We have come so far,” she said.
The Bucs will be on the road until Oct. 31 when they face Western Carolina at 7 p.m. in Brooks Gym.

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