Lady ’Hawks building momentum

The Pea Ridge volleyball team comes into this season with high expectations, after its fi rst-ever state tournament appearance a year ago.

The Lady Blackhawks return five starters, including four allconference selections and two allstate picks, which has Pea Ridge coach Jessica Woods excited about her team’s potential.

“The girls are excited,” Woods said. “We didn’t start a senior last year, but we were in a lot of tough situations last year. We just never finished until we got to the district tournament.”

The Lady Blackhawks fi nished fifth in the regular-season in the 4A-Northwest Conference, but advanced all the way to the fi nals of the district tournament before falling to Prairie Grove. That was also good enough to earn them their first state tournament berth in school history. Pea Ridge dropped a tough fi ve-set decisionto Brookland in the fi rst round, but with all that experience returning, Woods expects big things.

Pea Ridge showed o◊some of that potential by splitting two sets against 7A Springdale Har-Ber in the Rogers Heritage/Rogers High Team Camp on Friday at War Eagle Arena. The Lady Blackhawks saw a late lead evaporate in the first set, but came back strong to fi nish o◊the Lady Wildcats, who have built a reputation as a perennial state tournament team, in the second set.

Facing 7A teams like Har-Ber, Heritage and Rogers High, along with 5A Shiloh Christian at the team camp will help the Lady Blackhawks get ready for conference play, Woods said.

The Pea Ridge o◊ense starts with all-state middle hitters Sara Kahle, a 6-foot-1 senior, and 5-10 junior Mikheala Cochran.

Kahle came up with some big hits in the win against Har-Ber.

She keyed a four-point surge by Pea Ridge in the second set for a 21-15 lead. Har-Ber responded witha 5-2 spurt, but the Lady Blackhawks scored the final two points to fi nish o◊the 25-22 win.

Woods said responding in those tight situations against strong competition will only help her team in the future.

“Definitely, competing like that against kids at a level we don’t see a lot of, makes me realize how strong we can be,” Woods said, adding that her seniors have taken a big leadership role in the o◊season.

“They have really taken charge, making sure everybody is working hard,” Woods said. “We are working better as a unit than last season.”

Seniors Kahle and setter Jerika Schooley, who is the team captain, said this team came together late last season and matches like the one Friday should only help them build confi dence.

“In the middle of the season, I think we were still trying to fi gure things out,” Kahle said. “But at the district tournament, we realized we had to get it together.”

Sports, Pages 7 on 08/14/2013