LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. -- Senior Cali Sandhoff notched her 1,000th career assist as volleyball gained another pair of sweeps to open CCS play, defeating Belhaven and Huntingdon at Barnes PE Center on Friday evening.
Sandhoff after tonight now sits at 1,010 career assists, as she put up a team-high 38 assists across the two wins. Avery Maiden led in kills with 23 during the evening, while defensively, Sarah Jennings had 28 digs and Kennedy Barber posted six blocks.
MATCH ONE: Covenant 3, Belhaven 0
CCS play started out on a high note for the Scots, who swept Belhaven in their first match, outlasting them after a tight first set.
Avery Maiden put down 13 kills to lead the way, hitting .400, while Cali Sandhoff had 21 assists, Sarah Jennings had 19 digs, and Kennedy Barber had four blocks.
The first set tested Covenant's (7-1, 1-0 CCS) resolve after coming in with 15 straight sets won, as the Blazers jumped ahead 4-1 early and led 22-18 late. However, the Scots' grit shined through, as they, thanks to three kills from Gabby Sumrall, scored seven of the next eight points to come back and win the set, 25-23.
Covenant kept their foot on the gas in the second set by scoring nine of 10 points midway through the set, getting two kills from Maiden and Sumrall and one from Aubrianna Gerdes to go up 21-11. They would cruise from there, winning the final three points to take the set, 25-14.
The third set was a similar story, as the Scots won the first five points and then used a 7-1 stretch later in the set to extend their advantage to 20-11. A final 5-1 run put the lid on the match, as Scarlett Martz, Sandhoff, and Gerdes recorded kills in that run.
For Belhaven (3-6, 0-1 CCS), Megan LaCour paced in kills with nine, while Maggie Joy Tomlin had 22 assists and Kayla Robinson dug out 25 attacks.
MATCH TWO: Covenant 3, Huntingdon 0
Cali Sandhoff earned her 1,000th assist at the 11-10 mark in the second set as the Scots took down a pesky Huntingdon squad, 3-0, in the second match.
Sandhoff had 17 assists overall to pace Covenant (8-1, 2-0 CCS) in that category, while Avery Maiden had 10 kills and Henley Gentry notched 15 digs.
After the intermission in between the matches, the Scots had to dig deep again in the first set, as the Hawks (2-5, 0-1 CCS) came out swinging, going up 14-7 at one point.
Then the Scots woke up again.
An 8-2 run brought the lead down to one, and then a 5-1 stretch later in the set, capped off by three straight kills from Gabby Sumrall, Maiden, and Kennedy Barber put Covenant ahead, 23-20. They would hold on from there, as a Maiden kill ended the set, 25-22.
The Hawks did not go away in the second set, tying the score at 10-10. However, Covenant outscored them 15-6 the rest of the way, getting a kill from Barber to conclude the second set, 25-16.
In the third set, the Scots did not put Huntingdon away easily, as the Hawks came back from a 17-13 deficit to make it 17-16. Covenant found their groove, though, scoring six straight late to finish out the victory, sealing it with two aces from Gentry and a kill from Maiden.
Salome De Jesus led Huntingdon with eight kills and 13 digs, while Brielle Smith had 14 assists.
UP NEXT
Another twin-billing awaits the Scots tomorrow, as they head to LaGrange to play the Panthers and Rhodes at 1 and 3 p.m.
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