ATLANTA – The Centre volleyball team made its 2021 spring debut with a trip to Georgia for a doubleheader with the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels. The Colonels dropped both contests, losing the first game in four sets and the second in three.
 
GAME 1 RECAP
 
- The Petrels used a run of eight straight points early on to take command of the first set, never looking back on the way to a 25-13 win.
- In the second set, Centre held a slight lead for most of the frame before Oglethorpe rallied to force a set point at 24-23. Savanna Roper's kill tied the score and then Katie Hall gave Centre the lead with an ace. After a Roper kill made it 26-25, an Oglethorpe error give Centre the two-point victory.
- The third set played out in a similar fashion as the first, as the Petrels used a 9-1 run midway through to take the lead for good, eventually winning by an identical 25-13 score.
- Oglethorpe took the early lead in the fourth set, forcing Centre to play from behind. A kill by Alice Rodgerson cut the score to 15-13, but the Petrels didn't allow Centre to get over the hump and won by a score of 25-18 to take the match.
 
GAME 2 RECAP
 
- In the first set, Oglethorpe grabbed a small lead and kept Centre at bay for most of the period. The Colonels cut the deficit to two points at 21-19, but the Petrels reeled off the last four points to take the set.
- The second set was close throughout as Oglethorpe held a slim margin before Centre tied the score at 17-17 on a kill by rookie Madison McCabe. The Colonels trimmed the lead to 23-22 on a Rodgerson kill, but Oglethorpe scored the last two to take a 25-22 win.
- Centre had to once again battle from behind in the third set, but a pair of 4-0 runs by the Petrels prevented Centre from closing the gap any further as Oglethorpe took the match with a 25-18 win.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORES
 
- Roper led all players with 12 kills in game 1, with Rodgerson and rookie Eleanor Davis finishing with double digit kills as well. Roper's 11 kills in game 2 were a game high, with rookies Davis and McCabe adding eight each.
- Meredith Phillips finished with 35 assists in game 1 and 29 in game 2.
- Rookies Lily Hendricks and Brooke Palmer paced Centre in digs with 24 and 10 respectively in the first game. Hendricks led the way for Centre with 13 digs in the second game.
- The Colonels had nine aces in the first match, with Hendricks, Palmer and Roper finishing with two each.
- Centre and Oglethorpe each finished with 43 kills in the first match, but the Petrels made 12 errors compared to 36 for the Colonels.
- Net play proved to be a big difference in game two, with Oglethorpe holding a 9-2 advantage in blocks.
 
NEXT UP
 
Centre volleyball will return to action next Saturday as they face Rhodes in their home opener doubleheader.