By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

SPRINGFIELD – A week ago, Effingham County lost a key volleyball match to Greenbrier during its all-important subregion crossover day.

So Rebels went back to work. Hard practices followed during the week for just the opponent they wanted to see again – Greenbrier.

ECHS fell behind during the early going in the Thursday afternoon rematch but rallied in the first set and pulled away in the second set to sweep the visiting Wolfpack 2-0 (25-23, 25-17).

“We needed that win,” Rebels coach Brittany Lein said. “It was our errors that killed us (in the first matchup). We didn’t hit well. We weren’t serving aggressively like we had been.”

ECHS raised its record to 11-8, but the mark is slightly deceiving. The Rebels play a tough schedule and their eight losses (to six different teams) are against teams with a combined 74-13 record. ECHS went to a deciding third set in five of the setbacks. 

Lein didn’t use the extenuating circumstances as excuses for the Aug. 22 loss to Greenbrier. On a school night, the Rebels made the 2.5-hour bus ride to Evans, then played Lakeside, Evans and Greenbrier back-to-back-to-back. They won the first set against defending region champion Lakeside before falling 2-1.

ECHS beat Evans but Greenbrier breezed 25-12, 25-17 to make it a long bus ride back to Springfield.

“We played phenomenally against Lakeside, but I didn’t like how we finished the night,” Lein said. “We didn’t play well against Evans. (Libero) Bella Scroggs went out hurt and we had to change things against Greenbrier. We had a lot of things go against us but I truly left thinking we were the better team.”

At the very least, the Rebels got even on Aug. 29. They trailed 13-6 in the first set, but rallied and won on set point when an official mistakenly ruled a Greenbrier kill attempt traveled outside the net pole.

“Calls go both ways,” Lein said. “Some calls go your way and some go against you. Those are uncontrollables. Yes, that call went our way, but the second (set) showed the girls we were the better team.”

ECHS was outstanding on defense and used a 6-0 spurt to turn a 15-14 lead to a comfortable 21-14 advantage in the second set.

Newcomers in the rotation played pivotal roles. Senior Emily Perkins, who is coming off an ankle injury, and sophomore Jordyn Powell both had increased playing time at outside hitter and combined for seven kills in the match.

Perkins had key kills to draw ECHS within a point on two different occasions (18-17 and 20-19) in the first set and added a kill on the third point of the second set as the Rebels grabbed a 7-2 lead.

Greenbrier crept back to within a point at 15-14, but kills by Kimber Michaelis and Bentley Braswell began the Rebels’ winning binge.

Later in the day, ECHS held on to defeat Hilton Head High 2-1.