The Greenwood Lady Bulldogs volleyball team opened their 2020 season last week with a trio of non-conference matches against Class 6A competition, winning two of those three contests. Jennifer Golden also began her 20th season as Greenwood’s head coach and is hoping to lead her girls to a third state title during her tenure. Greenwood is the host site for the 5A state tournament in October.
Coach Golden offered the following comments to sum up opening week for her girls. “We’ve had a busy week with the start [of] school and playing in three very competitive matches against all 6A teams. The girls have continued to show up with great attitudes and a mentality of making the most of every day.
“We still have a lot of catch up to do, but they are working hard to make up for the lost time we would have gotten at team camps this summer. I'm so proud of how they are working hard and improving every day. They are truly making the most of every practice and game,” said the coach.
Fayetteville
The season opener was last Monday, September 24th, on the road against the Lady Purple Dogs of Fayetteville, one of the top 6A teams in the state. The match was competitive, but the home team came away with a 3-1 win in four sets, 25-17, 25-22, 20-25, and 25-19.
Caylee Ciesla led Greenwood with 13 kill shots, followed by fellow seniors Hannah Watkins and Larkin Luke with nine each. Freshman Myia McCoy had six kills and senior Zoie Dean added four. Luke also had five blocks at the net to lead the team.
Senior Madison Pugh topped the stat chart with 22 digs. Senior Sami Stilley had 11 digs and senior Anna Johnson had 10. Johnson also led the squad with 30 assists in the match. Pugh led the team with 20 serve receptions.
Springdale Har-Ber
The following day, last Tuesday, the GHS girls hosted Springdale Har-Ber at H.B. Stewart Arena, the temporary home of the Lady Bulldogs this season due to social distancing requirements. The match was a tight one and went the distance with Greenwood pulling out the come-from-behind victory, 25-20, 23-25, 23-25, 25-18, and 15-12.
At six-feet-seven-inches, Hannah Watkins led her teammates with 15 kills. Ciesla had 11, Luke 10, and McCoy nine. Senior Jocelyn Sewell had five service aces for the Lady Bulldogs. Watkins led the team with four blocks with fellow senior Allison Rose had three.
Pugh and Sewell led the Lady Bulldogs with 28 and 25 digs, respectively. Sami Stilley added 16 and Anna Johnson 14, who also led the team with an incredible 44 assists. Pugh had a team-high 48 service receptions with only three errors.
Fort Smith Northside
Last Thursday, Golden’s girls won in straight sets over a tough group of Lady Grizzlies from the River City. Greenwood won a very competitive match, 25-20, 25-19, and 26-24.
Hannah Watkins once again led in kills at the net with 15. Myia McCoy added eight slams and Larkin Luke seven. Luke had a pair of service aces and tied with Watkins with three blocks each to lead the squad.
Madison Pugh led with 25 digs and Jocelyn Sewell had nine. Anna Johnson led with 29 assists and Pugh had a dozen service receptions with just one error.
Upcoming Schedule
Greenwood has just one match slated for this week, hosting Fort Smith Southside on Tuesday, the final non-conference contest for the Lady Bulldogs before opening league play. They begin 5A West action at home on September 8th against Russellville. They will travel to Van Buren two days later. The Lady Pointers are new members of the 5A West this season.