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News-Sun file photo by DAN HOEHNE Kaley Walter and the Lady Blue Streaks just couldn't quite get over the hump Tuesday at Winter Haven.

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published: Friday, September 03, 2010

Close loss, encouraging sign, for Lady Streaks

By DAN HOEHNE

daniel.hoehne@newssun.com

After Monday's sweep of Hardee, the Lady Blue Streaks headed to Winter Haven for a big district test against the Blue Devils.

The result was a 3-2 loss, but head coach Venessa Sinness was quite encouraged.

"They only graduated two players, neither of whom were real big contributors," she said. "We graduated four, all who were main players and three who played all over."

Add to that, Winter Haven brought back Division I prospect, 6-foot-2 Ashley Dills, who would wind up with 20 kills on the night.

Alongside Dills on a towering front line were also the likes of 6-foot-1 Katora Roberts and 6-foot Allie Merritt.

"I think there was a little intimidation factor early," Sinness said. "We're still real young, as far as experience at the varsity level."

And even with what would seem a stacked deck, Sebring more than made a match of it.

After falling 25-22 in the opener, the Streaks bounced back with a 25-19 win.

The wheels came off a little in the third game, a 25-14 loss, but a 25-22 win in the fourth evened things up and sent that match to the 15-point tie-breaker.

"We beat them to 10 and were up 13-11, but we just couldn't close it out," Sinness said of the 16-15 loss. "(Dills) was really tough and she's just so tall, her hitting was really good. She almost took Dino's (Lower) head off at one point. But it was a good learning experience for the girls, to go in there this early in the season and take that team to five games. I don't want them to take it as a setback, it should really be encouraging for them and something to build on."

The girls were back in action Thursday in another district tilt, hosting Lake Wales.

Results were not available at press time, but see Sunday's News-Sun for a recap of the contest.