No. 1-ranked Daniel advances to third round

CENTRAL — This time, D.W. Daniel sure didn’t start off flat.

Two days after coach Joy Stewart was disappointed in the Lady Lions’ effort to open the playoffs, her team knocked off Chapin in three games with relative ease on Thursday in the second round of the Class AAA volleyball playoffs.

“It was a mental thing,” Chapin coach Mary Jo Jenny said. “We knew we had to play a perfect game to have a chance.”

Daniel advances to play on Monday against the Blue Ridge-Eastside winner, likely the No. 3-ranked Lady Eagles.

Leading 15-5 to start the first game, Daniel showed why it’s ranked No. 1 in the state, and Stewart said they avoided a second straight flat start.

Senior setter Hayley Hoover had 28 assists, while junior hitters Sarah Beasley (9) and Sarah Hughey (6) led the team in kills.

The only hiccup for Daniel came early in the second game when the Lady Eagles challenged at the net, and became more aggressive on offense. Chapin tied the middle game at 11, and Daniel didn’t pull away until it outscored the visitors 5-3 in the final eight points to win 25-21.

“They eased up a little bit,” Stewart said. “They weren’t playing as much on their toes as they should.”

If the Eastside matchup comes to fruition, it would be a rematch of last year’s third-round meeting where Daniel prevailed on the road.

“We don’t care where we play, we don’t care who we play,” Stewart said. “I know these girls are ready for it.”

Jenny said Daniel’s offense is unparalleled, and any opponent that beats the Lady Lions would need a wall of a defense.

“They need to bring in some 7-foot girls,” Jenny said. “They’re just an offensive team, and it would take a very good blocking team to beat them.”

VOLLEYBALL

Daniel 3, Chapin 0

Chapin 11 21 18

Daniel 25 25 25

Records: Chapin 14-8, Daniel 30-3