Many coaches preach having a short-term memory when it comes to plays on the court, but for Red Bank's volleyball team, the memories of last year's loss to Central in the District 6-AA tournament stuck with them.
Behind tournament MVP Marjorie Smith and a daunting net presence, the Lady Lions swept the host Hixson Lady Wildcats 3-0 in the 2016 6-AA championship match Tuesday night. The set scores were 25-17, 25-22, 25-19.
Smith led the charge with eight kills, sic blocks and four aces.
"She remembered that loss from last year," Red Bank coach Savannah Nelson said. "She was out for blood."
After beating East Ridge in straight sets, Red Bank looked on as Hixson was in a five-set semifinal brawl with Central, which the Lady Wildcats finally won 3-2 (25-14, 23-25, 27-25, 23-25, 15-7).
The long layoff may have contributed to a slow start for Red Bank, but things fell into place.
"That's what I've been looking for all year," an excited Nelson said after showing off her dance moves. "I feel like we found each other tonight, and our chemistry clicked."
The Lady Lions hit their stride at the net late in the first set, with Hannah Wood providing a spark with two and a half blocks in a four-point span that made it 20-13.
In the second set, it was the Lady Lions' service game that gave them a cushion, as they jumped to a 9-4 lead behind Cassidy Payne's six straight serves. After being down as many as eight points, Hixson came back within 24-22 before dropping the set.
"We never quit," Lady Wildcats coach Janet Tate said. "When we passed in system, we got a kill. When we didn't, we didn't, and it was good for them to realize that. We live to play another day."
Red Bank chipped away in the third set, often scoring two points for every Hixson response to slowly build a lead and close out the match.
Hixson had four on the all-tournament team, and Red Bank had five. The longtime rivals could meet again in the region tournament finals.
Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com.