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Tuesday, Aug. 29 -- The Rockbridge County High School volleyball team recorded another straight-set win over Parry McCluer as the two squads faced off in Lexington.
A balanced offense and 21 service aces fueled the Wildcats (7-1) to a 25-13, 25-10, 25-23 victory. RC also downed the Fighting Blues 3-0 in the season opener in Buena Vista on Aug. 22.
Sophie Vaught tallied nine kills and eight aces to pace RC in the home rematch. Sophia Perlozzo also recorded nine kills for the 'Cats, while Nala Shearer registered 15 digs and six aces, McKenzie Burch had 24 assists and six kills, and Maddie Dahl finished with eight kills and four blocks.
Sydney Mahaffey led the Blues (0-3) with seven kills, eight digs and a pair of service aces. Kadence Zollman added three blocks, seven digs and two kills, and Natalie Mohler posted seven assists and six digs.
The Wildcats sprinted out to an 11-1 advantage in the opening frame. PM would trim the margin to 12-6, but a 9-1 run from RC put the set out of reach.
RC assumed a big early lead again in the second set, going in front 7-1 on a kill from Dahl. Later in the stanza, the Wildcats used a 6-0 run that included three Shearer aces to pull away.
But the third set was a tightly contested affair, thanks to a late rally from the Blues. RC was ahead 18-10 and appeared to be on cruise control, only to see a 5-0 PM run -- featuring two blocks from Zollman -- close the gap to 18-15.
The 'Cats pushed the margin back to 22-17, but PM answered with a 5-1 run to make it 23-22. However, a well-timed setter dump from Burch on the ensuing point seemed to stifle the Blues' momentum as RC held on for the sweep.
Maisen McKemy chipped in 11 digs, five assists and two aces for the Wildcats. Rebekah Allen had eight digs and two aces, and Hayley Higgins notched six digs.
Keely Mahaffey totaled five assists and one block for the Blues, and Tatyana Turner recorded two kills.
Both teams will take on Alleghany in their next match. The Wildcats face the Cougars on the road on Thursday, while PM will play host to the same foe on Wednesday, Sept. 6. Junior varsity action begins at 5:30 p.m. on both nights.
