Calera beats Montevallo in road sweep

Published 10:02 am Tuesday, September 5, 2023

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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

MONTEVALLO – In an in-county matchup between two schools that know each other well, the Calera Eagles came out on top on the court against the Montevallo Bulldogs.

The Eagles won the matchup in straight sets, 3-0, to win their battle with the Bulldogs on Thursday, Aug. 31 in Montevallo.

Calera and Montevallo played a close first set, with the Bulldogs staying within striking distance as the Eagles were close to an opening set win. Ultimately, Calera saw out the first set and took the frame, 25-20, to go up 1-0 in the match.

Then, in the second set, Calera continued their path towards victory even though Montevallo still loomed close behind, and the Eagles won the second set by an identical score as the first, 25-20, as they took a commanding lead in the match.

Needing just one more set victory to close out the match with three more chances to earn it, the Eagles did just that and grabbed a third set win over the Bulldogs, 25-18, as they won the match in straight sets.

For the losing Bulldogs, Zoe Jones led in kills with eight off of 24 attempts, finishing out the three-set match with a +.125 hitting percentage. Emeli Guardado recorded eight assists to lead Montevallo in the category.

Both Jones and Guardado were incredibly efficient on the service line, with Jones earning six aces off eight attempts for a 75% ace percentage and Guardado winning six aces from just seven attempts as she hit for an 85.7% ace percentage.

Guardado and Jones also impacted the game on defense as Guardado earned seven digs and Jones took six of her own.

Calera will return to action with a home match against Helena on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. in another in-county matchup before area play begins on Sept. 18.

As for Montevallo, after returning from the Corner Tournament on Labor Day weekend, the Bulldogs will face Indian Springs and Holy Family Catholic on Tuesday, Sept. 5 in their home tri-match.