Wakefield volleyball
Having come back from an off-season ankle injury, Wakefield sophomore Elizabeth Campbell (17) has helped the Lady Wolverines to a 3-0 record this fall. Here Campbell laughs with teammates between sets during Tuesday night's win over Athens Drive.
Wakefield dead ends Athens Drive
Following Tuesday night's straight-set victory (25-17, 25-18, 25-13) over visiting Athens Drive, Wakefield volleyball coach Cynthia Terrell's first comment after the contest should scare its Cap-7 Conference foes.
"We're still not 100 percent, but wait until we get there, and then you better look out," the coach explained.
While the Lady Wolverines aren't yet at full strength, they've managed to compile a 3-0 record this season heading into Thursday night's match with Knightdale.
But before facing the Knights later this week, however, Wakefield downed Athens Drive.
After a contentious first set with the Jaguars, which Wakefield led 18-16 at one point, the Lady Wolverines closed out on a 7-1 run. The second and third sets weren't nearly as competitive.
"I was pleased with our overall play, but at times we broke down a little bit," Terrell said. "It's the little things like covering behind a block, or covering the middle — we need to work on those things. And we have to have a little more communication. Because when we do talk, we just play so much better because everyone is on the same page."
Injuries plagued the Lady Wolverines in the offseason and preseason, including Penn State recruit Katie Slay and sophomore standout Elizabeth Campbell. But the duo has played well and contributed in all three wins this season. (Full disclosure: In the NorthRaleighSports.com preview of the Wakefield volleyball team, we predicted Slay might miss a few weeks at the beginning of the season. She seems to be a quick healer.)
Terrell admitted she's used Slay sparingly as she works the 6-foot-5 blocker back into midseason form.
"She has done well with her physical therapy, and she just lets me know what she can and can not do," the coach said. "Her at 90 percent is better than most, and for us, her at 90 percent is better than none.
Wakefield's Katie Slay was orginially expected to miss a few weeks due to injury, but the senior has played in all three wins this season, which is bad news for Lady Wolverines' opponents.
Campbell and fellow sophomore Kylie Sicking have continued their growth from their freshman seasons, and have become leaders on the squad.
"Elizabeth has been really good for us, she has been one of our best players but, really, our whole starting lineup has done well," Terrell said. "And when we get our three-hit plays going, and they run their plays, it is really amazing to watch."
The coach said her squad is fortunate to have a "good core of young ladies."
Sophomore Cally Pfeiffer recorded an impressive evening Tuesday, tallying 21 assists, two aces and eight digs. Senior Katie Slay added 15 kills and sophomore Grace Cho had eight digs.
Cho, a sophomore, is progressing well as the team's libero, Terrell added. "I really think she will be a vital part of our program."
With an arsenal of stellar players, the Lady Wolverines could be peaking at the right time: the conference schedule begins Sept. 1 at Broughton.
"We have our package, we just need to find out how to utilize it effectively and maximize our potential," the coach said. "We need to work on our defensive coverages. And we need to continue to work on our passing game because it creates wonderful opportunities for us.
"Once we get everybody 100 percent, we can do anything. But we need to remain modest, humble and continue to work."
