Millbrook volleyball
Millbrook senior Nada Milkovich (4) sets a ball during Thursday's match at Enloe in the first round of the Cap-7 Conference volleyball tournament. The Wildcats lost 3-0.
Millbrook volleyball falls
in league tournament
The Millbrook volleyball team saved its best for the end of the season, but it wasn't enough in its meeting against Enloe Thursday, losing 3-0 in the first round of the Cap-7 Conference tournament.
Entering the contest, the Eagles had dropped just two matches all season, but in the first set Thursday, the Lady Wildcats had the upper hand, jumping out to an early 7-4 lead.
Sophomore Abby Ward set the tone, serving up five straight points, helping the Wildcats to the advantage.
Millbrook maintained a lead until Enloe battled back and went up 19-17. But the Wildcats regrouped, pulled even at 20-20 and pushed the Eagles late, falling 27-25.
"The girls came out strong, ready to play," Millbrook coach Chris Grimes said. "Abby has been one of our best servers and she got us going, and we played well."
Unfortunately, the Wildcats never regained its early form, dropping the contest's last two sets, 25-15, 25-15, marking the end of its 2009 season.
Check out highlights from Thursday's match between Millbrook and Enloe.
Although Millbrook didn't win a conference match, the squad's 8-16 record is a notable improvement over last fall's three-win season.
In the loss, seniors Caitlin Shaw, Gillian Cronin, Emily Bower, Nada Milkovich and Tiara Anderson played their last game as Wildcats.
Grimes said he'll miss the upperclassmen, and thanked them for their hard work.
"They have been integral to organizing things, leading us and making us get better," he said. "They were a big part in helping us double our win total."
Bower, Shaw, Milkovich and Cronin all played for three or more years on varsity, and Grimes said it will be hard to see them leave.
"I am going to miss them dearly, but that's part of the process, it's time for them to graduate and go off to school," he shrugged.
But the Wildcats have more returning players with experience than in several seasons, leading Grimes to believe the program can build on this season.
Leading Millbrook in 2010 will be standout Awele Nwaeze, Lauren Brand, Georgia Ditmore, Catherine Cox and Ward.
For Brand, next season will be her fourth on varsity.
"Most of them played on Coach [Jessica] Collins' junior varsity teams, which have done well the past few years, and they will be juniors and seniors next year," Grimes said. "Hopefully, the sky can be the limit for this group."
Millbrook junior Lauren Brand celebrates a point with senior Caitlin Shaw (12) Thursday.
