Mann records 17 kills in Pungo win

BELHAVEN — A winless record did not dissuade the Knights from digging deep and finding that extra gear to combat their most sworn rival on Tuesday.

It’s been a tough haul for the Terra Ceia volleyball team this season, fighting through each of their scheduled matches, keeping the score close, only to fall in the final games. Despite a series of downs, head coach Kristina Van Staalduein has emitted an aura of positivity throughout the season, keeping her players motivated. But on Tuesday matched up against the one-loss Pungo Raiders, no incentive was needed to lay it all on the line.

“The rivalry is just a lot of fun,” said Raiders head coach Melanie Sawyer. “You always know you’re going to get a good match when these teams meet. Terra Ceia came out and they were playing with their heart.”

As expected, Pungo went on to defeat Terra Ceia, 3-1, but the Knights sustained multiple leads and kept the score close down to the final points.

It was a battle between complementary styles — Van Staalduein’s squad focused on defense and eliminating errors, while Sawyer’s hitters aggressively went for the big play seemingly every rally.

Powered by one of the tallest hitters in the conference, setters Lindsay Respess and Dana Woolard worked the ball up front to hitter Taylor Mann, who finished with ease. Establishing her role early, Mann notched two kills to open the first game.

“We want to set Taylor up; we’d be stupid not to … She’s a force at the net,” Sawyer said.

A pair of kills from Jessie Gurganus to go with four from Mann propelled their team to a commanding 25-13 win.

Picking up right where they left off, the Raiders jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the second game, opening up with five-straight kills. But for Terra Ceia, Melody Allen finally found her rhythm and began to rack up digs, while Catherine Meijer responded with five blocks and a kill, following a quiet first game.

Meijer’s defense helped the Knights chip away at the big lead, eventually tying the game at 21. Both teams would exchange points, but in the end, a deafening kill from Jessalyn Bowen silenced the crowd and gave Terra Ceia a 25-23 win.

Again, Mann and the Pungo hitters opened game three on a run, outscoring their opponent 8-1. Terra Ceia would cut the score to four points midway through the game, but this time it was the Raiders who closed on a run, taking the third game, 25-15.

With its back against the wall, Terra Ceia halted an early Pungo rally in game four, jumping out to a five-point lead, as Meijer continued to be a force up front.

In a game that featured five lead changes, a demonstrative kill from Gibsen Armstrong finished the Knights off. Pungo took the final game, 25-23.

“We’ve had a couple bad performances the last two games, so this was a proving point for them,” Sawyer said. “They had to come out and play tough. They needed to learn how to fight for something — find it from within. And they did today, especially being down big time in that final set.”

Mann finished with 17 kills and three aces, while Meijer notched nine blocks and two kills on the evening.

Pungo will look to continue its conference success when it hosts Ridgecroft today at 5 p.m., while Terra Ceia seeks win No. 1 against Pope John Paul II in Pantego on Friday.