The volleyball might have looked a little different from two weeks earlier, but the end result was the same as Rockbridge County High School defeated Parry McCluer 3-0 in Buena Vista last Monday.
Jada Hamilton tallied 11 kills to lead the Wildcats to a 25-14, 25-15, 25-11 win. Maisen McKemy notched 19 assists and two blocks for RC (3-3), and Hayley Higgins posted 16 digs and six service aces as the ’Cats swept the season series.
Allie Cullen had 10 digs and a pair of kills for the Fighting Blues (3-2). Jorja Catlett recorded three kills, eight assists and five digs for PM, while Sophia Bouchelle served up a pair of aces.
When the two teams kicked off the season in Lexington on Aug. 26, RC looked dominant in a straight-set win. Although the scores were similar in last Monday’s rematch, the volleyball was a lot scrappier, as the Blues battled to defend their home court.
“They play hard; they fight,” RC head coach Gabe Wagner said of PM. “But I thought that we sunk below our capabilities. … We could have just been tighter.”
On the other side, PM head coach Jilane Hall credited the Wildcats for overcoming her team’s resilient effort. She also lamented PM’s struggles behind the service line, as the Blues finished with 16 service errors in the match.
“Rockbridge is a good team; they’re a formidable adversary,” Hall said. “We were a better team [than in the first match against RC], but it came down to a lot of our errors. … We definitely had a lot of missed serves, a lot of miscommunications.”
The Wildcats used big early runs in all three sets to take command. Trailing 4-2 in the opener, RC reeled off seven straight points – including a pair of Higgins aces – to go in front for good at 9-4. Consecutive aces from Mackenzie McCormick later in the set keyed a 6-1 spurt that put the frame out of reach at 24-13.
The Blues also led 4-2 in the second set, but another long service run from Higgins – including two more aces, along with three Hamilton kills – gave RC a 12-2 cushion. PM would not pull any closer than seven the rest of the way.
Hamilton finished with six kills in the second frame alone, and the senior outside hitter was swinging freely and accurately all night long.
“She went and put the ball away at a high percentage – lots of kills, and minimized a lot of errors,” Wagner said of Hamilton.
The Wildcats got off to an even quicker start in the third set, opening up a 6-1 lead on back-to-back aces from Emma Johnson. RC led 12-7 later in the stanza, but an extended 13-4 stretch allowed the visitors to wrap up the sweep.
McCormick chipped in five kills, two blocks and three aces for the Wildcats, and Emmy Duff also had five kills. Johnson finished with three aces, contributing to the 14 total service aces that RC racked up in the match. On the defensive front, Ava Crocker tallied 13 digs, and Savannah Whitmer notched 12.
Josie Martinez, Emory Slagle, Caroline Watts and Kadence Zollman registered two kills apiece for PM. Martinez added eight digs, and Presley Camden totaled seven digs.
Bouchelle and Jaelyn Manning, who combined for three aces, both entered the match exclusively as serving substitutions and provided a bright spot for the Blues.
“Serving sub, I think, is one of the hardest positions because you come off the bench, you’re cold, and you’re expected to do really well,” Hall said. “They [Bouchelle and Manning] served some aces, they served some out-of-system – so I’m proud of them.”
Though disappointed at times with his team’s level of play, Wagner acknowledged that the Wildcats were fully in control of the match for most of the night.
“I would stress how amazing it is that I’m upset, frustrated with a game that we won 25-14, 15 and 11,” the RC coach said.
With arguably their toughest regularseason opponent out of the way, the Blues can regroup as they get ready for Pioneer District play, which was slated to begin with a home match against Eastern Montgomery on Monday.
“We are very excited to have four practices just to ourselves, without worrying about playing a game in between,” Hall said. “We can really hone our skills, and prep our brains and our bodies for [district play].”
PM will play host to Highland County on Thursday and to Amherst County on Monday, with junior varsity action slated to start at 5:30 p.m. on both nights. RC was scheduled to face Alleghany at home on Tuesday, and the ’Cats will visit Stuarts Draft on Thursday, beginning with the junior varsity contest at 6 p.m.
SET FOR ANOTHER SERVE, Rockbridge County’s Hayley Higgins lines it up against rival Parry McCluer Monday, Sept. 8, in Buena Vista. Higgins finished the match with six service aces, and the Wildcats won in straight sets to sweep the season series from the Blues. (Ronnie Coffey photo)
ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY’S Mackenzie McCormick (10) eases a ball over the net as Parry McCluer’s Caroline Watts attempts a block in the clash between rival volleyball teams Monday, Sept. 8, in Buena Vista. The Wildcats won the contest in straight sets and took their second win of the season from the Blues. (Ronnie Coffey photo)
