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By Ron Marvel

Star Correspondent

It took 10 sets, but at the end of the night, the Lady Cyclones volleyball team did what every team must do this time of year: win and survive. Now, they will hit the road to play a very strong Anderson County team (25-12) that just came off a big win over Northview Academy in straight sets.

First Match — Volunteer: 20-25, 25-21, 15-25, 25-17, 15-13
The Lady Cyclones were able to put away Volunteer, but it came down to the last points of the final set. The Lady Cyclones guaranteed themselves at least one more game with the win. The trio of Ava George Wilbur, Ainsley Wampler, and Zoe Proffitt pushed the attack for the Lady Cyclones, while Jocelin Julian came up with six aces, and Zyleigh Bates showed off her range with 17 digs. Head Coach George Abarientos praised his team’s attacking ability as they were able to push past the Lady Falcons in five sets. “I felt like everything was clicking against Volunteer. It was just a great win against a great team.”

Second Match — Regional Championship — Knox Gibbs: 20-25, 25-11, 25-16, 19-25, 10-15
Simply put, the Lady Cyclones ran out of steam against a Lady Eagles team that benefited from a lengthy break. Ainsley Wampler led the way with nine kills, while Ava George Wilbur chipped in eight. As fatigue set in, the Lady Cyclones committed 13 uncharacteristic service errors.
All-tournament players for the Lady Cyclones were Ainsley Wampler and Ava George Wilbur. “Fatigue played a part in how we performed, both mentally and physically; it was almost four hours of volleyball. You try to condition your girls so they don’t get tired, but there is no conditioning for 10 sets of volleyball,” Coach Abarientos shared.

The Lady Cyclones will now travel to Clinton, Tennessee, on Thursday to take on the Lady Mavericks, with a TSSAA state berth up for grabs. Match time is set for 7 p.m.