Newberry huddles before going back to battle on the court against Palatka. [Izabela Gonzalez]

Newberry Volleyball Beats Palatka In A Sweep

NEWBERRY — The Newberry Panthers defeated the Palatka Panthers in a  sweep, 25-21, 25-17, 25-22, Wednesday.

It was a Panthers vs. Panthers volleyball matchup, an expected competitive one as both teams entered with winning records.

Before Battle

Newberry was trying to stop a skid the included back-to-back losses and five defeats in seven matches. Newberry, which lost four top players to graduation, returns a gritty team with talent across the board, from a superstar freshman to a multi-sport senior.

The team leaders going into the match:

Game Time

Newberry, with starters Malana Kennard, Chloe Jones, Baylee AkersMeadow Moses, Sarah PriesterMcKenzie Moses and Livi Clanton, was unstoppable against Palatka (9-7.) Newberry (10-7) was on fire from the start to win the first set 25-21.

The team’s momentum continued into the second set for a win of 25-17 with consistent two-plus point leads.

The third set was a bit of a roller coaster ride and it started with Palatka in the lead. After a timeout, Newberry was able to come together and win the set 25-22 with an ace by Olivia Tharp.

The match featured outstanding performances from Akers and Priester.

Akers is starting as a freshman for good reason. She had multiple kills in Set 3, which featured her teammates chanting “She’s a freshman!” whenever Akers made a key play. Akers has a bright future in the sport.

Priester, a senior, is a multi-sport athlete who is a beast on the court and on the diamond. She plays volleyball year-round while also playing softball in between. Priester’s versatility as an athlete was on display on multiple power serves.

Thoughts from Coach Rone

“We needed this win. We’ve had some tough losses this year and we really needed to finish it in three and I couldn’t be more proud of the girls.” — Coach Hank Rone

Up Next

Newberry will host Mayo Lafayette (13-0) at 7 p.m. Monday.

About Izabela Gonzalez

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