Nathan Hutchinson
RICHMOND — After four-straight trips to the regional tournament and back-to-back winning seasons, the Madison Southern volleyball team graduated almost all of its starting lineup last year.
The Lady Eagles returned only one player with any real varsity experience and, at the beginning, of the season struggled badly at times.
However, two months later Southern has made great progress.
“We knew that this was a learning year and we are making the best of it,” Southern coach Bill Yarnall said recently. “I couldn’t ask any more of them.”
After dropping their first 13 matches, including a first-ever loss to Berea Community, the Lady Eagles finished the regular season strong and will carry a two-match winning streak into this week’s 42nd District Tournament.
Southern will open postseason play with a showdown against Madison Central at 7:30 p.m. today at Berea Community School. In the other semifinal, Berea will take on defending champion Bryan Station at 6 p.m.
The final is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, with both finalists advancing to the regional tournament.
Central won both regular-season meetings with Southern (6-22), but the second showdown was a hard-fought battle. After rolling to a 2-0 (25-5, 25-13) win on Aug. 28 in Richmond, the Lady Indians picked up a 2-1 (25-20, 18-25, 25-17) victory Sept. 30 in Berea.
“I said all along that Southern was going to be a much different team than what they where at the beginning of the season,” Central coach Elizabeth Morrow said after that second meeting with the Lady Eagles. “They proved that. Bill (Yarnall) is an excellent coach — and you can see it. His girls have the fundamentals.”
Central won just eight matches last season and was knocked out in the first round of the district tournament. But, led by 11 talented upperclassmen, the Lady Indians (13-14) have had a very successful season.
They have won three of their past five matches and will be looking to get back to the regional tournament for the first time since 2005.
In just the school’s third season of varsity competition, Berea has had some solid wins this season, highlighted by that win over Southern, and has had some other nice showing, including an impressive showing at a recent tournament in Danville.
However, the Lady Pirates lost both showdowns with Bryan Station 2-0, (25-10, 25-9 and 25-7 and 25-6).
The Lady Defenders (15-14) have won eight of their past 10 matches and were 6-0 against district competition this season.
