Blues Take Down Nelson

PM Netters Grab Nondistrict Win Over Governors

On the heels of a busy week, the Parry McCluer High School volleyball team had enough left in the tank to secure a 3-1 victory over Nelson County in a nondistrict match in Buena Vista on Monday of last week.

Kadence Zollman posted 12 kills and three service aces to lead the Fighting Blues to a 23-25, 25-11, 25-21, 25-19 win. Jorja Catlett notched 24 assists, 10 digs, five kills and four aces for PM (9-7), while Allie Cullen had seven kills, 27 digs and four aces.

Gabi Ramsey recorded eight kills and Jemma Browning tallied 20 assists for the Governors (3-9). Avary Sullivan finished with six kills for Nelson, and Willow Garrett served up three aces.

After playing eight matches in six days the previous week – including five best-of-three affairs in a tournament last Saturday at James River – PM needed to draw on some reserves of energy for a rematch with the Governors. The Blues had beaten Nelson 3-2 in Lovingston back on Sept. 2.

“It started slow,” PM head coach Jilane Hall said of Monday’s victory. “But then, everybody started cheering for each other, really supporting each other, and we found it. Once we found it and it started to click, that’s when we started to play really well tonight.”

The Blues were also able to rely heavily on their defense, as the squad racked up 103 digs in the match. Beyond Cullen’s team-leading total, Presley Camden finished with 25 digs, while Josie Martinez had 16 digs to go along with seven kills and four assists.

“Defense is so crucial, and I think that’s been a big pushing, emphasis point for us as a team,” Hall said. “It’s working: we’re getting long rallies, we’re putting stuff away, we’re being scrappy… I think it really helps the morale of the team, and just the overall energy.”

PM used a 6-0 run midway through the first set to take a 14-11 lead. Consecutive kills from Emory Slagle and Zollman helped the Blues assume a 23-20 advantage later in the stanza, but the Governors responded with a 5-0 run to steal the opener.

The home side quickly regrouped, sprinting ahead 16-6 in the second set and never letting Nelson back in it. Cullen had three of her kills in the frame, and PM also posted five aces as the Blues leveled the match.

Nelson jumped out to a 12-3 lead in the third stanza. But PM countered with an 8-1 run, part of an extended 16-4 stretch that featured some key serving from Cullen, Catlett and Martinez. The Blues eventually built up a 23-18 lead and held off the Governors to claim the set.

Zollman recorded six kills in the fourth frame, including PM’s first three points as the Blues built up a quick 8-2 margin. The home side led 22-13 later in the frame, surviving a late 6-1 Nelson run to complete the comeback victory.

Slagle and Jordyn Hostetter chipped in three kills apiece for PM, while Camden and Sophia Bouchelle each notched a pair of aces. Ahlana Pullen tallied four kills for the Governors, and Campbell Bauserman added three kills.

Following Monday’s match, the Blues were not scheduled to take the court again until returning to Pioneer District action at Eastern Montgomery on Tuesday night. Hall’s team seems to have earned a nice break before hitting the stretch run of district play.

“There’s still a lot of things to learn, but I think we’re in a good spot for this time of the season,” the first-year PM coach said. “There’s still plenty of season left to improve, so I’m really excited about that.”

Following last night’s trip to Elliston, the Blues will travel to Highland County on Thursday and to Bath County on Monday. Junior varsity action is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. on both nights.