Pike County worked hard, but it was not enough to stop a strong G. W. Long Rebels team, who won in straight sets (25-6, 25-8, 25-9).

It was a perfect sweep for the Rebels on the day, as they also swept their JV (25-8, 25-9) and Junior High (25-17, 25-21) matches.

The loss is the second consecutive for the Lady Bulldogs.

Pike County never competed in the first set and was unable to handle the Rebels’ service game. Pike County players lacked communication on the court and often got in one another’s way as they attempted to return the Rebels’ serves.

“We always play an overlap,” Coach Karie Striplin said, “but the girls didn’t call the ball early enough, and they got confused on who was suppose to return the ball.”

Following the disappointment of the first set, Coach Striplin changed the Bulldog lineup from a defensive stance to a more aggressive offensive layout.

“We normally have five girls try to return the serve, but we were getting confused, so we switched it up to a three man return, with three players attacking the net,” Striplin said.

Though the change did not register much on the scoreboard, Striplin believes the team played better in the last two sets. “We became more aggressive. We still need to get better at passing the ball to our setter and at staying in position,” Striplin said.

Pike County will look to carry their improvement into their region games next week against Montgomery Catholic on Monday and Abbeville on Thursday.