By Peter Vankevich
(Sept. 3)–Playing under sultry conditions, the Ocracoke School Lady Dolphins varsity volleyball team rallied in the final set (15-10) to defeat the visiting Creswell Tigers. This is the team’s second win of the season (2-5). The other victory was against Mattamuskeet. The Lady Dolphins managed to pull out the win against a less skilled, but nonethess scrappy Creswell team. Creswell’s tough serves and ability to return much of what the Lady Dolphins sent over the net kept them in the match and almost proved to be more than the Lady Dolphins could handle.
Kari Styron noted that the Dolphins started playing “not to lose” rather than playing to win and the scores showed it.
“Coming into the match off a strong win against Mattamuskeet the Lady Dolphins underestimated Creswell,” she said. “It was a good learning experience, and we are all proud of how strong the girls came out in the 5th set to win the match. In the final set, the team started quickly with a 5-0 run and stayed well ahead till the end.”
It wasn’t the players in the gymnasium that under-performed. It was the air conditioning unit. Principal Walt Padgett said when the temperatures rise like yesterday, the system in its current state, cannot handle such a large space. A work order is in to remedy the situation.
The Lady Dolphins travel to Plymouth tomorrow. The next home games will be September 16 against Hatteras and 18 against Columbia, both begin at 4 p.m.
