McHenry, MD – It certainly didn't take long for Paige Rodeheaver to make her presence felt on the Garrett College women's volleyball team.
Rodeheaver, playing her second match since joining the squad, had a team-high 11 digs in Wednesday night's 25-19, 25-20, 19-25, 25-19 loss to Westmoreland County Community College. The Lady Lakers were dramatically more competitive than they were in an earlier, three-set sweep at the hands of Westmoreland.
"It was amazing how someone who hadn't played for us the entire season came out and was the standout," said GC head coach Brittany Jackson of Rodeheaver. "She led our serve receive and helped out tremendously on our defense. She's so versatile. She played middle back, left back – really anywhere we needed her."
"It's definitely been nice to be able to step in and help," said Rodeheaver, a former Southern Garrett High standout who was recruited to bolster the roster after sophomore hitter Daphne Harman was injured. "I'd already known her [Jackson's] coaching style and met most of the players previously and that helped out, too."
The Lady Lakers played most impressively in the third set, using an 8-1 run to erase a 15-13 deficit and force a fourth set. Aiyana Yoder (team-high 10 kills, three blocks) had an ace and a kill off a middle hit while Janiya Burton (three blocks) had a point-scoring block and a middle-hit kill during the run, which Sadie Portillo finished off with a kill that trickled over the net.
GC appeared poised to force a fifth set when the Lady Lakers used an 8-2 run to build an 11-7 lead in Set 4. Alexia Wolf (team-high 27 assists) had a pair of aces and Brookelyn Keller contributed two kills during that run.
The Wulfpack answered with a 9-3 surge to take a 16-14 lead, but GC created a 16-16 tie on a Burton stuff. It was still tied, 18-18, when Wolf was called for two hits on a set attempt, starting a 7-1, match-ending run that included a pair of aces by Westmoreland's Bryn Shearer.
While the loss dropped Garrett to 2-13, the Lady Lakers now enter what looks like a string of competitive matches. Their next three opponents – Frederick Community College, winless Baltimore City Community College, Northern Virginia Community College, and Beaver County Community College – are a combined 11-37 this season.
Frederick Community College (3-13, 2-10) is the Lady Lakers' next opponent, with the Cougars visiting Saturday for a noon match.
