Jr. Lady Cyclones come up short in 8th-grade Night thriller, 2-1
Published 11:56 pm Thursday, September 30, 2021
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Abby Gwinn sets the ball up for a teammate to attempt a kill.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Adrionna Jones returns the volleyball back toward the Greeneville side.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Jasy Shell bumps the volleyball back across the net for the Jr. Lady Cyclones.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Lillie Vest bumps the volleyball into the air for her teammates.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Lily Hardin challenges a Jr. Lady Greene Devil at the net.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Piper Kate Bennett sends a one-handed return back across the net.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett The Jr. Lady Cyclones celebrate a point during one of the three sets on Thursday.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
BY AUSTIN ALEXANDER
STAR CORRESPONDENT
ELIZABETHTON- It was a special night Thursday in Elizabethton as the Lady Cyclones of T.A. Dugger celebrated 8th-grade night.
The game against the Greeneville Green Devils lived up to the hype with both teams exchanging blows. The Cyclones hung in as long as they could until the Green Devils pulled away.
The first set belonged to the Cyclones with the opening point coming off an emphatic spike. Greeneville would fight back and go into the lead.
At 4-1, Adrionna Jones made a tremendous diving save that was topped off with an incredible spike from Lily Hardin as the Jr. Lady Cyclones battled back.
A big stuff at the net from Brooklyn Hurley helped sway the back and forth affair towards the Cyclones with an ace from Ainsley Wampler soon to follow.
Midway through the set, TA Dugger began to pull away as Greeneville couldn’t find their balance.
An exceptional shot from Piper Kate Bennett put the set win within reach. Jones would finish things off with an awesome overhead shot to win set one, 25-16.
Set two was a much different story. The two teams battled back and forth through the first several points and just as insane diving save from Lillie Vest seemed to give the Cyclones the upper hand,
the Green Devils fought back.
A turning point in the match as a whole came midway through the second set when Hurley and Bennett had a massive collision of heads ruling Hurley out for the remainder of the match and
Bennett out for several points.
The underpowered Cyclones tried to continue to compete, but the Greeneville attack was too strong taking the set, 25-9.
The third and final set was closer with the two teams desperate to win.
An ace from Jasy Shell started the set off on the right foot. A spike from Wampler helped settled the score at 4-all, and the back half of the set was set up for drama.
Despite their best efforts, the Green Devils just proved to be too much taking the third set and the match, 15-7 (2-1).
Junior Varsity
Greeneville 2
TA Dugger 1
