Wilson Memorial secured a 3-1 win over a shorthanded Rockbridge County High School volleyball team in a Shenandoah District battle in Lexington on Thursday.
The Wildcats split a pair of road matches earlier in the week, losing to Turner Ashby before defeating Buffalo Gap, to move their record to 6-6 overall and 4-5 in Shenandoah action.
On Thursday, Estee Irving tallied 14 kills to lead the Green Hornets to a 24-26, 25-20, 25-20, 25-13 victory. Maddie Lawhorn tallied 10 kills and 19 assists for Wilson (10-3 overall, 7-2 district), while Natalee Chandler notched 21 assists and Bree Kindig served up five aces.
The Wildcats, who were playing without both starting setter Maisen McKemy and backup Allison Licona-Asto, had to improvise with their lineup. RC used a 6-2 system with two senior hitters – outside Jada Hamilton and middle Mackenzie McCormick – taking over setting duties. McCormick tallied 15 assists, seven kills and two blocks, while Hamilton finished with 11 assists, nine kills, two blocks and three aces.
After playing back-to-back games last Monday and Tuesday, the Wildcats had just one practice session to determine how they’d run their offense against the Green Hornets.
“We had two hours of practice [on Wednesday]. I spent 30 minutes trying to figure out who we should set, and then 30 minutes running that lineup,” RC head coach Gabe Wagner said. “To take a set off a team like Wilson in spite of that is pretty awesome.”
The Wildcats used a dramatic late rally to claim a back-and-forth opening frame. RC was ahead 17-13, but a 10-2 stretch for the Green Hornets put the visitors in front 23-19. Wilson then led 24-20, but six unanswered points allowed the ’Cats to win in extras. The closing run featured two kills from Hamilton – both assisted by McCormick – along with a Cesi Beidle ace and an Emma Johnson kill on set point.
With the second frame tied at 15-15, the Green Hornets utilized a 5-0 spurt to take the lead for good at 20-15. Lawhorn and Irving each had four kills in the stanza, and Irving would replicate that number in the third and fourth sets.
WM took an early 8-3 advantage in the third and never let the Wildcats back in it. The Green Hornets then assumed a 14-5 edge in the fourth set, going on to complete a season sweep of RC. When the teams met in Fishersville back on Sept. 2, WM also earned a 3-1 win.
Beidle totaled five kills and four aces for the Wildcats in Thursday’s rematch. Emmy Duff had four kills, three blocks and three aces, and Johnson also notched four kills. Hayley Higgins led the defensive effort with 27 digs, while Hamilton recorded 12 digs and Johnson chipped in 10.
The Green Hornets also got eight kills from Kayleigh Coffey, six from A.J. Hedrick and five apiece from Harper Tibbs and Maggie Parrott. Lawhorn and Parrott each had three blocks, and Miley Davis posted four aces.
Even though the Wildcats came up short, Wagner was pleased with the determination that his team displayed without a fullstrength lineup.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the effort that was shown,” the RC coach said. “Even until the end, they fought hard and played well.”
RC 3, BG 1
RC earned a 3-1 victory over district foe Buffalo Gap in Swoope on Tuesday of last week.
McKemy posted 30 assists, eight digs and three blocks as the Wildcats fought back for a 23-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-16 win. Beidle had eight kills and seven aces, and Hamilton recorded seven kills, 20 digs and three blocks.
Even before McKemy missed Thursday’s match due to illness, the ’Cats were able to experiment with their personnel against the Bison (3-10, 1-8).
“Gap was actually good training, because we did a bunch of different lineups – just to try new things for the sake of trying new things, trying to get us out of a little funk that we’re in right now,” Wagner said. “We were able to play selfless against Buffalo Gap and win that game because of it.”
McCormick added seven kills and three blocks for RC, while Duff registered six kills and Johnson had five aces. Adrianna Grue totaled 18 digs, with Higgins collecting 16 digs and Ava Crocker finishing with 12.
TA 3, RC 1
The Wildcats dropped a 3-1 decision to Turner Ashby in a nondistrict match in Bridgewater on Monday of last week.
The Knights (11-4) beat their former Valley District rivals 25-20, 24-26, 25-16, 25-20. Beidle notched a double-double to pace RC, totaling 10 kills and 11 digs, while McKemy finished with 21 assists and eight digs.
Hamilton had six kills and six digs, and McCormick tallied five kills and a pair of aces. Crocker led the defense with 24 digs, while Grue had 10 digs and Higgins also served up two aces.
RC was slated have a rematch with TA at home on Monday before playing host to district rival Riverheads last night. The Wildcats will continue district action at Fort Defiance on Thursday before playing host to Waynesboro on Tuesday, starting with junior varsity action at 6 p.m. on both nights.
