By Ken Severson
For the Daily Journal
Entering Tuesday evening’s contest against conference and county rival Whiteland, the Greenwood volleyball team was in a bit of a slump, having lost three of four matches in weekend tournament.
Mini-slump over.
Against the Warriors, the Woodmen played with a combination of aggression and patience, which turned out to be a winning formula as they topped the visitors in three straight sets, 25-17, 25-22 and 25-20.
Greenwood evened its season record to 4-4 and improved to 2-0 in Mid-State Conference play. Whiteland is 0-1 in league play and 1-2 overall.
Woodmen coach Natalie Kitchin has tinkered a lot with the lineup so far this season, especially after losing starting setter Ella Dean to a dislocated left elbow in at Franklin last week, but after Tuesday she might think about keeping the lineup intact, especially after the way they beat Whiteland.
“We’ve been playing around with our lineup so much,” Kitchin said. “But they’ve been fighting through it and boosting each other’s confidence. We’re learning to kill the ball when necessary and sending it to who we need to.”
That confidence was enhanced thanks to some Whiteland errors that if corrected would have made a difference — perhaps not in the outcome, but in making a much closer contest.
Whiteland also couldn’t take advantage of the missing Dean, but Greenwood ensured the Warriors wouldn’t have a chance as the Woodmen players all had each other’s back and communicated well.
Junior Mya Ayro was the big player for the Woodmen with six aces and nine kills. Senior Abbey Gregory had five kills.
Also helping the Woodmen, according to Kitchin, are non-volleyball activities to get the girls to know each other as friends as well as teammates.
“I think the key is bonding off the court and kind of getting to know who does what well and who needs what, things like that,” Kitchin said.
Even with the Woodmen’s play, Kitchin didn’t think the outcome would be determined in three sets.
“It did look easy, but I’d be lying if I say I wasn’t sweating every set,” Kitchin said. “(Whiteland) has a nice setter and a lot of hard-working girls.
Up next for Greenwood is a home match with Indian Creek on Thursday, while Whiteland travels to New Palestine that day.
