Potter-Dix wins weekend tourney

POTTER - With a new coach and only a couple of players returning with much varsity playing time, Potter-Dix opened its volleyball season with a little bit of uncertainty.

This time last season, the Lady Coyotes entered the Minuteman Activities Conference tournament having lost only one match - that the season opener to a team one class higher - and riding high on a 20-straight-set win streak.

But the Lady Coyotes left no doubt Saturday that while they might be less inexperience, they're still a force to reckon with.

Potter-Dix barely broke a sweat against Minatare 25-20, 25-7 in the first round, but found the going a little tougher in the later rounds. Both Bayard in the semifinal, and Creek Valley in the final, had the tournament hosts down after one set. But in both instances the Lady Coyotes bounced back convincingly on their way to the championship.

Creek Valley, which had taken a strong 25-17 first set win in the final, felt the door slam shut in the last set, 25-14.

"They found a way to get it done," said Potter-Dix Coach Brad Hicks. "They were down but came back."

Hicks said the team is still working on ways to get a good solid game together, but thinks they may have found the right combination of players.

"We still need to work on our passing," Hicks said, "but the girls are playing together and don't get their heads down. They find a way to get it done."

Always tough on the other side of the net, Creek Valley has still lost just four matches. They were led in the finals by Payje Misegadis with eight kills with three other players getting four each. On the way to the championship, the Storm didn't find the going easy, having to get past a scrappy Leyton team in three tough-fought sets.

Potter-Dix' one-two punch came from seniors Trinity Langley and Audrey Juelfs with 15 and 14 kills, respectively.

On the other side of the net Creek Valley had six blocks three each from Misegadis and Jordyn Koenen, while for Potter-Dix, Langley was a veritable wall, with 10 blocks.

Potter-Dix ended the tournament with an 18-7 record.