Screaming Eagles Spoil Scotties' Home Opener

Screaming Eagles Spoil Scotties' Home Opener

DECATUR, Ga.—The home opener for Agnes Scott Volleyball did not go quite to plan as Toccoa Falls stormed into Woodruff Gymnasium to take a three-set victory from the Scotties. The Screaming Eagles used big runs at the end of each set to take down the Scotties for the third consecutive matchup.

The Scotties see their record dip to 0-4 to start the year, while Toccoa Falls gets into the win column for the first time at 1-2.

Toccoa showed some consistency at the start of the opening set, jumping out to a 14-8 lead thanks to a mix of service aces and the hot hand of Natalie Thompson (Clarkesville, Ga.). The Scotties would not go away though as senior Morgan Pearson (Pensacola, Fla.) came alive with three kills during a 9-1 Scottie run to help the home team grab at 17-15 advantage.

The Screaming Eagles coaching staff called its second of two timeouts at the end of the run, which seemed to spark the visitors. Toccoa found some holes in the Agnes defense to score six straight points and regain firm control of the set. The Scotties could never recover in a 25-21 loss in the first set.

The second set followed a similar script with the Screaming Eagles racing out to the early advantage only to cough it up to a streaky Scottie squad. Agnes Scott turned a four-point deficit into a 14-11 lead at the halfway point, but could not hold off another big run from the Eagles. Toccoa used another 6-0 run, as they did in the first game, to put the Scotties on their heels before registering a 25-17 win in the second.

A third set gave way to a seesaw battle early with the two teams knotted at 10 all, but Toccoa blitzed the Scotties by winning 15 of the final 16 points in the match, including 12 straight to finish things off.

Agnes Scott has a few days to recover before heading to Huntingdon, Alabama on Friday for another two-day tournament beginning with Tuskegee at noon.