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Wekiva volleyball fights hard in loss to Oak Ridge

Wekiva volleyball fresh out of a timeout.
Wekiva volleyball fresh out of a timeout.

Vinnie Cammarano

The Oak Ridge Pioneers girls volleyball team swept the Wekiva Mustangs 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-21) on Thursday night, marking their third straight sweep to advance to 4-1.  

Wekiva was without its head coach, Heather Lorenz, due to illness and had assistant coach Haley Stagg fill the role on the sideline. Despite the challenge, the Mustangs showed stretches of strong play but couldn’t overcome Oak Ridge’s momentum and instincts at the net, falling in straight sets. 

Wekiva opened the first set with a 5-0 lead, sparked by junior setter Isabella Espada’s distribution. Espada racked up four early assists while mixing in three points of her own on well-placed tips over the front line. She connected with junior outside hitter Elyanna Sanchez and sophomore middle blocker Avianna Mater for a pair of kills each, helping the Mustangs keep pace through the opening rallies.  

Oak Ridge would chip away at the Mustang lead, finding a groove halfway through the set. At 9-8, the Pioneers would have their first lead after a booming kill from senior outside hitter Kanieris Hernandez, followed by an ace from sophomore middle blocker Jayliah Opont.  

After a few errors from the Pioneers, Wekiva followed up with its own kill and ace combo from Sanchez and junior libero Mikayla Rivera to make it 14-11.  

From there, Oak Ridge took over. Freshman right side hitter Genneve Carrion began a 6-1 run with an ace, and it ended with back-to-back aces from sophomore outside hitter Cynthia Falcon. The run helped Oak Ridge cruise to a 25-20 first set win. 

The second set opened in opposite fashion, with Oak Ridge jumping out to a commanding 6-1 lead. Carrion and Opont controlled the net early, with Carrion recording a block and a kill, while Hernandez added an ace to stretch the margin. Wekiva battled back behind Mater’s steady hitting and a quick set tip from Espada, trimming the deficit to 11-9. 

But Oak Ridge’s front line proved difficult to overcome. Opont, who had four assists to go along with four blocks, fed Carrion and Falcon on back-to-back plays to restore momentum. Falcon then dropped in another ace, and Carrion followed with a cross-court kill to push the Pioneers ahead 19-14. 

Still, Wekiva kept it interesting. Sanchez tallied two late kills and an ace, while senior outside hitter Sarai McFadden recorded a block that brought the Mustangs within one at 24-23. But Oak Ridge held on, closing the set with a composed finish to take the frame 25-23. 

Isabella Espanda sets up Avianna Mater for the kill.
Vinnie Cammarano Isabella Espanda sets up Avianna Mater for the kill.

The third set started off tight, with the teams trading points throughout. Wekiva’s offense found a stride with Espada distributing to all corners, while Mater and Sanchez kept Oak Ridge on their toes with precise power. McFadden’s third block of the match tied the score at 17, and Rivera’s kill down the line pulled Wekiva within one at 22-21. 

Carrion, however, had the final say. The freshman standout notched her fifth kill and added her third ace to close out the night. She sealed the sweep with a kill off the block, giving Oak Ridge the 25-21 win in the third set. 

Carrion had a phenomenal night with several numbers in each stat category, while Opont added an ace, and a bunch of valuable blocks and kills. Falcon’s serving run in the first set and her two late kills gave Oak Ridge valuable momentum swings, while Hernandez came through with timely points and huge hustle plays, racking in digs and helping with blocks.  

Despite the loss, Wekiva showed flashes of potential, especially with the team’s ability to hang with Oak Ridge in extended rallies. After the match, acting head coach Haley Stagg reflected on her team’s effort and areas to grow. 

“I feel like they did very well, but there’s some tweaks and communication that they need to work on, obviously,” Stagg said. “But I think most of all they did really well — managing and doing a lot that they usually do.” 

When asked what the Mustangs will look to build on from the match, Stagg pointed to positioning and awareness.  

“Communication and learning how to cover more of the deep corners and tips, also learning how to move in position quicker,” she said. 

With Coach Lorenz expected to return soon, the Mustangs will aim to clean up their defensive reads and capitalize on the offensive chemistry they showed in stretches. Oak Ridge, now riding a four-match win streak, will look to continue its momentum behind an impressive young core.  

Wekiva will stay on the road to face the Colonial Grenadiers at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 26. 

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