Former Comet VB player Carr gets first win coaching Warriors

Staff Report

ROCKFORD — The 2017-18 varsity school sports season officially began Tuesday for Rockford when the Warriors volleyball team hosted Clarksville in a non-conference match.

The Warriors won in straight games — 25-21, 25-12, 25-19.

Rockford took control early in the first game when it jumped out to a 10-4 lead. Several unforced errors by the Warriors enabled the Indians to close the gap and eventually tie the first game at 14.

A blocking kill by Mac LaCoste put the Warriors up again before an ace by Jamie Schuster extended the advantage to 21-17.

Clarksville made another run to draw within 2 points, but consecutive kills by Kayla Carroll closed the first game for Rockford.

The following game, the Warriors jumped out to a 12-1 lead and never was threatened while taking a 2-0 match lead.

Clarksville responded by going up 4-0 in the third game, but the Warriors defense enabled them to overtake their foes for the three-game sweep.

It was a coaching debut victory for Hannah Carr, who recently landed her first varsity head coaching gig just two years after graduating from Charles City, where she played volleyball for the Comets.

“Volleyball is like riding a rollercoaster … there are a lot of ups and downs,” Carr said. “Right now, we’re just trying to find the right consistency to keep the ride going up more often.”

For the most part, Tuesday’s match was a steady upward grade.

“Jamie Schuster was a real asset at the net for us tonight,” Carr said of her junior. “She played big and was unstoppable.

“Megan Staudt was also a key member in our win tonight,” Carr said of her senior libero. “She communicated with her team and took charge in the back row.