Socastee volleyball notches hard-earned opening win at St. James

With success, comes high expectations.

And honestly, Socastee volleyball coach Kristi Garrett wouldn’t have it any other way.

A season after claiming an outright region title, the Braves took the floor Wednesday night at St. James, hoping this season will end as the last two have — with the addition of another banner to the collection.

Even with Socastee’s recent run of success, it doesn’t mean opponents are going to take defeat lying down.

Losing the first game at St. James, the Braves’ veteran leadership and skill eventually won out, allowing them to claim the last three games and a season-opening win.

“It was back and forth, back and forth, but the girls pulled it out and were playing good. I was very impressed,” Garrett said. “(St. James) is a very good team and they gave us a run for our money.”

The match was truly one of runs, with each side answering the other. A 9-1 spurt in the first game proved to be a decisive one for the Sharks, delivering it a 25-22 win.

In similar fashion, Socastee won 10 of the final 15 points in the second, allowing it to tie things up at a game apiece.

The final two games didn’t stray much from the pair preceding them. If there was a difference, though, it was found in the form of Kysta Tesone.

A senior leader for Socastee, her presence certainly was felt in the form of several blocks and key kills. As a result, the Braves were able to close things out by a count of 25-18 and 25-20, respectively.

“She’s been with me for four years, starting with when she was a freshman. And the improvement she has done and captured, it’s unbelievable the turnaround she has earned to get that spot in the front row," Garrett said. She’s worked hard, played travel and got conditioned, and is a natural at it.”

According to Lindsay Mayer, her group’s youth and lack of size showed itself in the match’s crucial moments.

“We need to fight through our struggles,” she said. “When they’re up, they’re up and when they’re down, they’re down. When they get one good kill, they continue with the kills. But when one hits into the net, they all fall down.

“We just must learn to mature and work through it.”

This story was originally published August 24, 2016 at 10:31 PM with the headline "Socastee volleyball notches hard-earned opening win at St. James."