The Eisenhower Eagles gave Stratford's volleyball team all they could handle for two games Tuesday night in their District 19-5A match up on Eisenhower's home court.  Stratford won

25-23, 25-21, 25-15 behind Jennifer Jordan's 19 kills, but it was still a struggle every step of the way, thanks to Karensa Beckford, Jamie Johnson and company.

The win allowed Stratford to remain one game back behind 17-5A leader Memorial at 8-1 and 19-10 overall. 

Stratford rolled out to an early 8-2 lead with Jordan and Emily Pence firing away at the net, while Laura Edwards added four straight points from behind the serving line.  Then the Eisenhower offense went to work.  Sanerica Davis served for three straight points, while blocks by Johnson and Samnisha Brown and Beckford's spikes got the Eagles back in the game.  A spike by Deona Dickerson off a Stratford block tied the game at 11 all.  The teams remained neck and neck until Stratford began to pull away behind Ashley Nunn and Jordan's spikes, but Eisenhower's Johnson and team began to chip away.  Anneshia Jones served four straight to knot the score at 22-22 and spikes by Johnson tied the game again at 23-23.  Taylor Miller's hit won the ball back for Stratford, and Valerie Noel's set over the net found a hole in the Eagle defense for a 25-23 win.

The second game was just as close.  Eisenhower took an early 5-2 lead behind an offense led by Clarrisa Moore, Jazmin Wilson, and Beckford.  Stratford tied the game at 5-5 on a spike by-who else?--Jordan, and from there, the teams exchanged leads eight times.  It wasn't until Stratford's Nunn's spike and tip over the net broke a 15-15 tie and a Laura Edwards' set over the Eagles' Jones gave the Spartans an 18-17 lead that Stratford began to break away.  Kills by Mary Ellen Luck, Kendall McCord, and Jordan ultimately proved too much for the Eisenhower defense to overcome in a 25-21 Spartan win.

In the third game, Stratford built a 12-3 lead before Eisenhower's Johnson, Moore and Beckford battled back at the net.  But Stratford's offensive firepower proved too potent, and the Spartans finished at 25-15 for the sweep.

Jordan's 19 kills led all hitters for the night.  Luck and Nunn both had seven for Stratford.  For Eisenhower, which fell to 27-4 overall and 7-3 in district, Johnson had 12 kills, Beckford had 11, and Moore added five.

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