8-0 So Sweet

COURT WILLS / News Virginian
Published: October 24, 2007

STUARTS DRAFT- It doesn't take much for Tabitha Bowman to get angry.

Well, maybe just a 12-9 Rockbridge lead in Game 3.

With one quick set the electric slammer gave it her all as she hammered down one of her 21 kills, giving Stuarts Draft a perfect 8-0 Southern Valley district season on Tuesday night.

"Tabitha just took the match over," said Cougars coach Kami Meeteer. "It definitely shows in the stats that she was the one to give the ball to."

The Cougars swept the Wildcats 25-18, 25-20, 25-14.

"I just get so frustrated. I want it so bad," said a beaming Bowman. "I'm getting better at my anger. Really. When I get really mad all I want to do is slam it."

At 10-12 the Cougars were back in the driver's seat but this time it was Tabitha Bowman taking a backseat to sister Tiffany Bowman who served up seven straight points to give Stuarts Draft the 17-12 lead.

  "She always placing it where they're not," Tabitha said. "I'm so proud of her. I just told her, 'good job' which her makes her smile."

After Tiffany's seven-point rally, the Cougars continued to bring the force with Tabitha in full swing.

"We were just trying not to think about what happened earlier," said Tabitha. "We just told coach that we had to stop making stupid mistakes. I think we got a little sluggish."

In Game 3, the Wildcats took away the Cougars power hitting attack.

"Our kids fought hard, but I think they just shut down in the third game," said Rockbridge coach Shawna Laurendine of her Wildcats who finished 3-5 in the Southern Valley District after going 0-21 last season. "They have a great outside hitter with Bowman. We tried to make some little adjustments on our defense."

The Cougars caught on.

With a high set from senior setter Kerby Hatter, Tabitha Bowman's kill took its biggest boom of the night when it went off the hands of one of the Rockbridge defenders only to bounce off the back wall.

"I'm always trying harder," Tabitha said.

Stuarts Draft was just too much to handle for Rockbridge as Lexie Eichner served up six consecutive service points to cushion the Cougars lead to 11.

"I'm happy that we won but I definitely think that we can speed things up a little more," said Meeteer. "I am totally surprised with Rockbridge this year. Their coach has done a fantastic job with those girls. [Shawna Laurendine] knows her volleyball."

As the No. 1 seed in the Southern Valley District Tournament, the Cougars will take on Rockbridge again on Oct. 30 at the Cougar den at 7 p.m. to kick off the tourney.