East Marion (6-4) earned a big win over Columbia (6-8) on Thursday in a contest that was much closer than the final outcome suggests. Down by four early in the second set, the Eagles stormed back to reclaim control and win the set 26-24, propelling them to an overall 3-0 victory over the Wildcats.
"Winning that second set was huge for us," East Marion head coach Mandell Echols said. "It really swung the momentum in our favor. This was the first time of the year that the whole team has come together and said, 'Coach, we're letting too many balls fall. We know we can do a lot better than this.' And they just started to gel together as a team after that."
The big swing in momentum followed a 25-13 win for East Marion in the first set. They finished strong in the third set, topping the Wildcats 25-21 to seal the victory. Echols said he's pleased with the level of improvement he's seen from the Eagles over the course of the last four weeks, and he's excited to see what they can accomplish from here on out.
"Our serving and our defense has been great. I think that's really what's working to our advantage right now," Echols said. "With Natalee Dillon on the net with Zikiya Bridges, Kylie and Alyssa Watts, they've really shut things down on the front end and made it a lot easier for our girls in the back. It makes most other teams change their approach. They aren't spiking as much because they see what a great job those ladies are doing at the net. Hopefully we can keep that up and just keep improving from here."
The Eagles will be back in action Tuesday with another home game against Sumrall. Columbia will take on Greene County at home Tuesday then prepare for a rematch with the Eagles on Sept. 1. West Marion (7-5) fell to St. Patrick on Thursday but will have an opportunity to bounce back on their home floor Tuesday with a win over Salem.
