The Chargers began their final month of the season with a Monday, Oct. 6, matchup against Shorter University, where they fell 3-1.
Abby Farr, Sophia Senegal and Vanessa Johnson had key kills in the set the Chargers won with assists from Erin Davis and Abbey Yates. Yates’ aces also played a major role.
Middle blocker Vanessa Johnson prepares to serve
Coach Buddy Gallemore said he saw signs of improvement ahead of Wednesday’s Oct. 8 match against Wesleyan University.
“The hustle, the hard work, things are coming together now. They’ve just got to learn how to win,” Gallemore said.
The Chargers earned the first serve and started strong as Emma Goodson gets an ace.
The teams traded points until the set reached 2-3. Then the Chargers went on a seven-point run punctuated by an ace from Alivia Fannin and a kill from Vanessa Johnson, forcing Wesleyan to call a timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, Johnson committed a service error, making the score 4-10. She quickly redeemed herself with a block to get the Chargers back on track.
The teams continued to trade points until the set reached 9-13. Kills by Johnson and Katlyn Layman set up a three-point run.
After several rallies, three straight Wesleyan errors made the score 16-22. The Chargers closed out the set 25-20 behind key plays from Farr and Johnson.
With momentum behind them, the Chargers opened set two with a seven-point run featuring kills by Johnson, Senegal and Farr plus an ace from Yates.
Wesleyan scored off an error to make it 7-1, but Johnson answered with a kill and an ace. Davis, who had mostly contributed assists, added an ace of her own.
Erin Davis, defensive specialist, lunges to make a powerful hit during the Oct. 8 match against Wesleyan University, helping keep the team in the point.
The teams battled back and forth until the Chargers pulled away with a six-point run, taking the set 25-12.
Gallemore urged his players to stay focused. “Don’t relax. We still have to win one more set,” he said.
Set three began with a kill from Senegal, but Wesleyan held firm and took the set 25-23.
Set four followed a similar pattern. Johnson and Senegal recorded key kills and aces, but Wesleyan edged out another 25-23 win to force a decisive fifth set.
The Chargers won the coin toss for first serve. Goodson opened with an ace, but an error allowed Wesleyan to tie it. The teams traded points until back-to-back kills from Johnson tied the set again.
Johnson took control with a block and three consecutive aces, giving the Chargers an 8-4 lead as the teams switched sides.
During the 16th point, a challenge led to a replay that shifted the score from what could have been 9-7 to 10-6 in favor of the Chargers.
Wesleyan called a timeout after a series of errors but couldn’t recover. More mistakes gave the Chargers match point, and Johnson sealed the win with the final kill.
The gym erupted as the Chargers earned their first win as an official sport.
After the match, Gallemore praised his team’s determination.
“It feels great. I’m just super proud of the girls. They work very hard for this. They deserve this and hopefully it’s a start we can carry for the rest of the season,” Gallemore said.
The Chargers will wrap up their season against the same team on Friday, Oct. 17.
While one goal was accomplished, Gallemore said his expectations remain high. “I’m hoping that this is the expectation for me every night, to win. My goal will never change. I expect us to win every night,” he said.
