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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

Although the Davie JV volleyball team’s 22-match winning streak came to an end in the season opener on Aug. 16, it wasn’t a bad day for third-year coach Brittani Steger’s squad. It managed to hold its own against visiting North Surry without three players.

The scores were 25-22, 25-19 – not bad all things considered.

“We’ve got some quarantines, so the JV was a little shorthanded,” varsity coach Amber Brandon said. “We were missing some key players, (including) two setters. (Davie was missing) three kids that started last year and are important pieces to the team. We had a kid setting (Malia Privett) that has not set a single ball in our gym all year.”

Steger guided the War Eagles to 16-1 and 10-0 in her first two years. This marked the first loss since Sept. 5, 2019 at South Iredell. But there were positive signs.

“I was proud of them for not giving up and hanging their heads,” Brandon said. “They had a hard task – no practices to get ready with three people missing.”

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Two days later at home, the War Eagles responded with a 25-8, 25-22 win over Mt. Airy.

“We’re still shorthanded and we’ll be shorthanded (this) week,” Brandon said.

Again, Privett played out of position and handled the setting duties.

“Malia has really had to step up to the table,” Brandon said. “(Against North Surry) she did a great job. In practice we got her some reps and she built on that tonight. She did a really good job.”

Sophia Brady electrified Davie behind the serving line.

“She had huge serving runs in both sets,” Brandon said. “In the first set, she gave us a commanding lead early.”

Davie had a shaky start in the second set. Brady came through again.

“We had a hard time getting it together,” she said. “All of our missing pieces are older kids, and we’re having to play younger kids earlier than we expected to. We got down and Sophia had a good serving run again that got us back in the game and got us fired up.”

Taylor Smith shined at libero.

“She had a really good game,” she said. “We’re working with her on being consistent. She played a consistent game tonight.”

The sophomores for Steger, who is being assisted by Meghan Alderman, are  Lauren O’Connor, Caroline Lakey, Macey Smith, T. Smith, Jordan Kistner, Brady, Hailey Johnson and Privett. The freshmen are Addi Wilson, Cora Nicholson, Jayce Whitaker, Cady Minns, Carleigh Croom, Mallorie Brown and Emma Willard.