To be able to win Tuesday, the Soddy-Daisy volleyball team was going to need a change in strategy or a change in its attack.
Coach Andrea Johnson gave the team the change in strategy, and then junior middle blocker Rachel Shaughnessy provided the change in attack.
The Lady Trojans claimed a share of the District 5-AAA championship with a five-game victory over the Lady Owls. Should both teams win their final district games Thursday night, Ooltewah will be the No. 1 seed for the district tournament by having allowed fewer points than Soddy-Daisy, but the Lady Trojans were able to enjoy Tuesday’s big victory.
Ooltewah (29-10, 9-2) won the first meeting in five games, so had the Lady Trojans won the rematch in fewer games, they would have captured the regular-season title outright.
Shaughnessy had five kills and a block in the 15-12 final game, as the Lady Trojans (43-11, 9-2) shifted their attack to her side to keep the ball away from Ooltewah blockers Alex Martin and Kianna Delaney.
“She had the shorter blocker on her side, so that was the call,” Johnson said. “We wanted to get the ball to her and let her hit it straight down.”
Shaughnessy finished with 18 kills and nine blocks, while senior Hayli Raines led the team with 23 kills and 19 digs. Johnson praised Raines and fellow senior Jessica Smith, who were honored before the match, for not letting the team stay down after a fourth-game letdown. Soddy-Daisy led 14-5 before Ooltewah rallied to win 26-24.
“We just had a breakdown in passing and communication that game,” Johnson said. “We were hesitant in our scrambling and just didn’t communicate well, but our seniors took charge to where I didn’t even have to coach the girls in between games.
“They just told the rest of the team that we were going to finish this match.”
The pumped-up Lady Trojans won the first game 25-19. They trailed for most of the second but claimed a 24-23 edge on a tip by Shaughnessy. Ooltewah claimed the final three points, taking the game on an ace by Erica Alvey.
The Lady Trojans scored three of the final points to win the third game 25-23.
Ooltewah’s Delaney had 15 kills, while Martin had 13. Soddy-Daisy’s Kelsey Nunley had 12 kills for the Lady Trojans.
“I was disappointed in how we played, but I thought we played competitively,” Ooltewah coach Elaine Peigen said. “We never gave up.
“Now it’s time to start getting ready for the district tournament.”