Clovis Christian squeezes out win

CLOVIS — It took every bit of effort for Clovis Christian to squeeze out a volleyball win over a hungry Grady squad on Saturday.

Momentum went back and forth through the five-set match before the Lady Eagles finally laid claim to a 20-25, 25-17, 25-11, 14-25, 16-14 District 6-1A victory at the CCS gym.

Senior Lola DeGroot posted 21 kills, four blocks, seven digs and three aces as Clovis Christian (2-1, 2-1 district) inched above the .500 mark with its second consecutive win.

“It was definitely back and forth,” DeGroot said of the match. “It’s always that way with Grady. I think we’re finally getting to the level we should be at.”

For the Lady Bronchos (0-3, 0-3), it was another tough early-season pill to swallow.

“There were times when we stayed in there,” first-year coach Missi Glover said. “We just lose focus sometimes and make unforced errors. It seems like we get a little bit of momentum and we miss a serve.”

Senior Teryn Foote led Grady with 17 kills, four blocks and seven aces, while senior Kristin Grau had five kills and three aces.

Grady scored the first two points of the opening set and never relinquished the lead, although CCS got within a point several times. Foote put away a CCS overpass on match point.

Grady got out to a 10-4 lead in the second set with the help of three aces from Foote, but CCS overtook the Lady Bronchos with a 9-0 surge that included kills from four players, including three by sophomore Sofia DeGroot (Lola’s sister). Lola DeGroot got the Lady Eagles to set point with an ace, then Sofia DeGroot finished it off with a tip-kill.

CCS controlled the third set, but the Lady Bronchos returned the favor in the fourth to even the match. Junior Katie Garcia’s ace put Clovis Christian up 9-5 in the fifth set, and the Lady Eagles led 12-8 before Grady tied it with four consecutive points.

Foote’s ace tied it again 14-14, but Grady then had consecutive attack errors on the final two points.

“I was really proud of how the girls pulled together through some trying moments,” said CCS coach Lillian Chandler, who is the mother of the DeGroot sisters. “I’m proud of how they’ve grown this year to get to a (more) competitive level.”

Sofia DeGroot finished with 10 kills and 14 assists for the Lady Eagles. Junior Emma Maddy collected a team-high 18 assists.

Lola DeGroot said she’s not sure the team would have won a match like this in the past.

“I think it’s a display of our (team) chemistry this year in these back-and-forth games,” she said. “It feels like we’re more mentally tough this year.”

Clovis Christian, which returned to action on Tuesday night with a non-district doubleheader at Elida, travels to Logan in district play on Thursday. Meantime, the next outing for Grady is on Thursday night when it welcomes non-district foe Fort Sumner.