Greene Central outlasts Farmville Central, ends eight-year drought
Greene Central outlasts Farmville Central, ends eight-year drought
SNOW HILL — Greene Central made its first meeting with rival Farmville Central in its new gym count.
The Rams survived a back-and-forth five-set match Thursday, defeating the Jaguars 25-14, 14-25, 25-22, 22-25, 15-13. The victory was Greene Central’s first over Farmville Central since Aug. 16, 2018, ending an 18-match losing streak in the series.
Greene Central improved to 7-8 overall and 3-1 in the Eastern Plains 2A/3A Conference. Farmville Central fell to 7-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play.
“I think the girls performed great,” Greene Central coach Emily Lahr said. “They played well together, and they really did work hard to do everything they could, from picking the ball up to making sure that they were making good decisions.”
The Rams controlled the opening set before Farmville Central answered with an identical 25-14 victory in the second. Greene Central reclaimed the lead by winning the third set 25-22, but the Jaguars forced a deciding set with their own 25-22 win in the fourth.
Before the fifth set, Lahr challenged her players to leave everything on the court.
“We established that we were going to do everything we could to pick the ball up, put bodies on the floor and do something productive with the ball that they were getting in the air,” Lahr said. “We established that we needed to be so tired at the end of this set that there could be nothing left.”
The Rams responded, edging the Jaguars 15-13 to secure the rivalry victory.
Lahr said a strong practice Wednesday helped prepare Greene Central for the intensity of the match.
“I think that there was a lot of competitive spirit going into this game, and we had a great practice the day before, so the girls were ready to work hard,” Lahr said. “And they did, which I’m really happy about.”
The win also provided another sign of progress for a Greene Central team that has continued to improve throughout the season.
“The girls have been working hard and working together,” Lahr said. “I truly can’t ask for more from the girls. They are learning and growing and pushing themselves every practice and game, so I’m super happy and very proud of them.”
Greene Central will travel to Southwest Edgecombe on Monday before returning home to face Beddingfield on Tuesday.
