Suffolk News-Herald

As the Lakeland junior varsity girls headed onto the court for the final game of their match against visiting Deep Creek on Tuesday, team captain Cherelle Shelton made small talk with her opponents on the front line.

&uot;I told them they were doing good,&uot; said the sophomore Lady Cavalier. &uot;It’s something I always do. But they didn’t talk back.&uot;

At that point, Shelton figured that her team might be in better shape than originally thought. After holding off the young Lady Hornet squad 25-23 in the first game, the Lady Cavaliers had faltered in the homestretch of game two, allowing Creek to sneak away with a 25-17 victory. Because junior varsity matches are best of three (as opposed to the varsity’s best of five), Lakeland only had one more chance to grab its first victory.

The silent demeanor of the Creek team told Shelton that the Game Two win might not have boosted her opponents’ spirits. &uot;It made me think that they didn’t have much momentum, and we weren’t going to lay down and die.&uot;

Creek served, and Lakeland got the first point. Danielle Faltz knocked over three points for Lakeland, and Shelton upped the score to 5-2. The Lady Hornets got possession, but it again lasted for only a point, and Chelsea Jackson went to serve.

&uot;I was really nervous,&uot; said the fresh (wo)man. &uot;My heart was pounding really, really hard. I was SO relieved when I got the first one over.&uot; So relieved, in fact, that she was able to serve for six more consecutive points, putting the game out of reach for Deep Creek. The score of the final game was 15-5.

&uot;The coaches told us to take a bite out of the scoreboard, and we did,&uot; Jackson said.

Now the team has to carry its momentum farther along the season, asserted Shelton. &uot;We always knew we had the power and the force to bring it to (our opponents),&uot; she said. &uot;Now we have to do it.&uot;

In varsity competition, the Lady Hornets held off the Lady Cavaliers 25-15, 25-23, 25-23. Rachel Bailor slammed down eight kills and Mary Rimasse snuck in four aces for Lakeland. The boys team also lost, although the final score was not reported. The teams will attempt to get back on track Thursday at Great Bridge.