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Lady Eagles tested, muscle through Dunedin

Eric Horchy/SUNCOAST

East Lake's Sara Rex (12) finds room for one of her game-leading 19 kills.

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: September 26, 2007

East Lake, FL - East Lake, FL - Sara Rex and Company led the East Lake Lady Eagle volleyball team to their sixth straight victory during a straight 3-0 sweep of visiting Dunedin Tuesday night.

East Lake (8-1) may have walked off the hardwood with another shutout under their belts, but the final does not quite encapsulate how the game played out.

"The energy level wasn't there," East Lake head coach Terry Small said after the game. "I've got to give credit to Dunedin for taking every ball away.

"We were just a little flat; kind of going through the motions."

The flatness Small described was most visible throughout the second game, needing to play extra points to squeak by with a 27-25 win.

In the first and third games, Dunedin (4-6) either led or kept it close early, but couldn't quite stay with a more polished and experienced Eagle squad.

Rex, the much recognized senior long middle blocker, and setter Kelly Gilchrist proved too strong a combo while outlasting and putting away the Falcons by the end of virtually every game.

Rex finished with 19 kills and Gilchrist had 34 assists. Outside hitter Natalie Mahey received most of the remaining Gilchrist sets at the net.

The strong defensive performance (20 digs) of sophomore libero Andrea Tagarelli played a big part in Dunedin being unable to put East Lake away in that long second game.

"I've got two really great defensive players out there and it makes a big difference," Small said.

The match was won or lost primarily by the net play on both sides.

East Lake attacked early and often, leading to a high number of kills for Rex and Mahey, but the blocking combo up front with Tristen Vail, Emily Overby and Jessica Hamrick for Dunedin kept the Falcons competing. Overby led the way with seven total blocks, six coming in that second game.

"I'm really impressed by how they performed," Dunedin first year head coach Karon Higgins said, noting that they had the East Lake players and coaching staff visibly rattled at times. "That second game was a perfect example of what they're capable of doing. The girls went down fighting."

"We're trying to get the program to a competitive level. No one's used to that around here (in volleyball).

While Higgins is in the process of building a young program - already surpassing last year's win total of three - East Lake is fine-tuning their game heading into districts and states.

"We might not be the biggest hitting team around or the most athletic, but they just work so well with each other," Small said. "So the chemistry alone is what's making us do so well."

East Lake hits the court again today at Seminole, while Dunedin is in action at home to try and rebound against Largo.

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