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Rich Central a winner over Bloom
Updated: September 15, 2011 8:43PM
In fall 2012, Rich Central’s Nakeyta Clair will be playing volleyball at Ole Miss.
Bloom Township’s Amber Fryer is a can’t-miss college prospect.
Thursday, two of the Southland Athletic Conference’s best went head to head in Sauk Village. When they meet again in the home-and-home series finale Oct. 6, it’ll be advantage, Ole Miss.
Clair was dominant at the net and in the back row, leading Rich Central to a 25-20, 25-12 victory. It was the Olympians’ first win over Bloom in some time.
“It’s probably been, I’d say, three years,” Rich Central coach Craig Marek said. “We’ve had some dogfights, but the last few years we’ve been coming out on the losing end.
“I read (Tuesday) where Amber said she enjoys playing us because we’re always good competition. It’s nice to be on the other end this time.”
Clair finished with 12 kills and five blocks, while Jasmin Thames (five kills), Raven Southall (seven assists, seven digs), Daivonya High (nine assists) and Jessica Warren (two blocks, two kills) also contributed for the Olympians (5-3, 2-0).
Fryer checked in with six kills and five digs, Bria Gaines three kills and two blocks, Mariah Middleton six digs and Shelly Hensley seven assists for Bloom (6-8, 1-1).
The 6-foot-1 Clair and 6-foot Fryer had their most explosive moment during Game 1, when Fryer went up high for a spike and walked away shaking her head after Clair blocked it back into her to make it 17-9 Rich Central.
“That felt good, just because we’re competitive when we play each other’s school,” Clair said, smiling. “But it felt good, too, because this is conference.”
And the Olympians are looking like serious contenders.
With five regulars returning already from last season’s 18-16 squad, the Olympians were further boosted by the transfer of 6-2 senior Jessica Warren. Warren, whose real focus is on basketball, played volleyball for the first time as a junior at Thornwood.
“My junior year I decided to be a two-sport athlete,” Warren said. “I chose volleyball over track, because over the summer I started liking it more.”
She was key for the Olympians in Game 2, going back to back to help break open a 10-9 game with a kill after a Bloom overpass and a clean block.
While Fryer didn’t match her season averages, she still was a force at times for the Blazing Trojans. She and Clair were matching kill for kill early in Game 1. But it was Gaines who led a comeback charge for Bloom with three consecutive plays at the net to help shave a 20-10 deficit down to 22-18.
Bloom, however, was not consistent in the absence of starting setter Richelle Schoon (ankle) and starting middle Jedda Stewart (coach’s decision).
“But no excuses,” Bloom coach Jason Norberg said. “We had our chances. Give Rich Central all the credit in the world. They wanted it more than us.”
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