The Harvester Bees volleyball team played two games last Friday and won both without dropping a single set. They swarmed Southwestern Adventist University in their first game on Friday, winning 25-1, 25-15 and 25-7.
Setter Taryn Doiron, currently leading her team with 141 assists, teamed up with outside hitter Brenly Walker to lead the attack.
Walker, last week’s Dallas Athletic Conference defensive player of the week, finds satisfaction in putting up points for her team.
“It feels good because the connection is there with the set,” Walker said. “Everyone contributed, so it doesn’t just feel like you did it. The whole team did it.”
The team showed no sign of slowing down in their second match of the day versus Rose State, winning 25-14, 25-14 and 25-12. The players rotated around the court like a well-oiled machine.
As one player rushed to the net to block, another was already moving to cover her spot, leaving little room to penetrate their defense.
“We definitely have very good chemistry,” said outside hitter Azoria Davis. “We’re really just like one big family, and I think that helps a lot.”
The team has a mix of experience and youth this year, with six returners and eight freshmen. Davis and Walker, two of the newcomers, were both all-district players in high school.
After ending their first week with a 6-0 record, the Harvester Bees were ranked No. 9 in the nation.
“That’s crazy,” Davis said. “I feel like a lot of people didn’t think that we were gonna be this good. It’s really exciting.”
Now sitting with an 11-0 record after two more wins Saturday, this is the first time in two years the team has broken eight wins.
“They’re super excited,” said head coach Phil Nickel. “Last weekend they were like, ‘Coach we’re almost there already!’ It’s a good feeling.”
Nickel joined the team halfway through last season. It started out as a tough adjustment, but Nickel seems right at home now.
“He’s the one that talked me into coming here,” Walker said. “He’s very supportive and communicates really well with you.”
Eastfield’s next game is Sept. 8 at Seminole State College in Oklahoma against Pratt Community College.
