Reinhardt swept the Chargers in three sets Tuesday, Sept. 9, winning 25-8, 25-20, 25-12.
The Chargers entered the matchup with confidence after taking a set off Reinhardt in their Sept. 2 meeting, and that was the mood heading into Tuesday’s match, Coach Buddy Gallemore said.
“I expect the girls to play well tonight. We’ve got to build confidence, and I think with us doing that last week and traveling on the road, we may face some fans here that are a little bit loud, but I think we can step up to the plate and do what we need to do,” Gallemore said.
The Chargers won the opening serve after captains decided with a game of rock-paper-scissors. Reinhardt scored the first two points of set one, but a kill by Sophia Senegal gave the Chargers a 3-2 lead.
A delay of game penalty tied it at 3-3, and the Chargers scored only five more points as Reinhardt took the set 25-8.
Set two started with Reinhardt taking the first two points, but the momentum shifted when the lights went out mid-play.
Gallemore joked, “It should have been five points rewarded toward us, as we were winning that point.” The Chargers held closer in the set, but Reinhardt pulled away to win 25-20.
Set three opened with both teams trading points to 2-2. Senegal landed another kill to bring it to 4-5, and Vanessa Johnson served an ace to cut Reinhardt’s run to 9-5.
Reinhardt built a 15-6 lead after five unanswered points, and although the Chargers added four more, Reinhardt sealed the sweep 25-12.
Despite the loss, Gallemore praised the team’s effort and highlighted Senegal and Emma Goodson. “We need to work on our service line and continue to improve on what we have done. If we can do that, a win is on the horizon this season,” he said.
