Dennis Atwood -- Daily Sports Correspondent

QUICKSBURG — The Stonewall Jackson Generals opened their volleyball season with a convincing 3-0 sweep of the visiting Clarke County Eagles on Tuesday.

The Generals combined coordinated passing and key net-minding defense to top the Eagles 25-13, 25-23, 25-18 in the nondistrict contest that officially welcomed the start of volleyball in the area.

"This was a nice first win," Stonewall head coach Sophie Stout said. "We are working on a lot of things and making some adjustments. It is still fresh into the season to make any speculations, but I was happy with our performance."

In the first game, Stonewall jumped ahead 7-1. After Clarke County scored its seventh point on a kill by Junior Amy Hagerdon, the Generals reeled off six straight points on Junior Nadene Pence's serves to go up 19-7.

Stonewall extended the gap to 24-10, and Heather Stout, the Generals' six-foot junior co-captain, scored the game-winning point.

"We moved the ball well at the net offensively and with blocking," Sophie Stout said. "Our sets were spread out well. Passing has been our Achilles' heel, but that's coming along."

During the first volley of the second game, the Eagles lost a key player when Megan Nelson, Clarke County's senior middle and outside hitter, suffered a sprained ankle, a recurring injury for the senior. She was unable to return to the contest.

Stonewall Jackson, though, had a letdown defensively after scoring the first two points of the game, and Clarke County rallied in the tightest game of the night.

The Eagles tallied six consecutive points, five on serves by sophomore Clara Thiel, to go up 6-2. Their biggest lead was 11-6, before the scoring got tight. Neither squad led by more than two points, and there were ties at 18- and 19-all.

The Eagles closed to gap to 24-23 on LeslieRae Conner's kill, but the Generals got the clincher as Clarke County hit out after a serve by Monica Mongold.

Neither squad could muster a lead larger than three points in the third game until the Generals went up 19-14 and extended the advantage to 21-15 on another blocking kill by Stout. Pence hit the match-winning point at 24-18.

"Our approach is game by game," Heather Stout said. "We've been working a lot on our setters. This is our first year using a 6-2 pattern, with the setters positioned diagonally, front row and back row.

"Nadene Pence and Whitney Wilkins are our setter specialists," she added. "We're also working on timing with hitting, with a lot of emphasis on blocking and net play. As you saw, Clarke was really scrappy. After the [Nelson] injury, we had bit of a let down, but we came back, and, as a team we did really well."

Top performers for the Generals were Stout, with 11 serves, seven points, and seven kills; Molly Beall, who served 16 times (two aces), had seven points and four kills; Pence, with two aces, four points, eight kills, and 10 assists; and Whitney Wilkins, who chipped in six points, two kills and 14 assists.

Clarke County was led by Misty Munson and Tierria Underwood with five kills each. Conner and Mongold had 10 assists each, and Thiel added four aces.