By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
The Lady Cougars made the passes, sets and kills to squeeze past Class AA Petersburg in straight sets 25-22, 25-18 and 25-22 last Thursday in Baker.
Petersburg started the opening set with a 3-nil advantage as Shayla Whiteman garnered two spikes and a block before Hannah Lafferre served the ball out of bounds.
East Hardy’s SierraMarie Miller served and the ball was returned by Petersburg’s Klowie Shultz with Erin Riggle making a dig and Emily Dyer saving the ball with Rebecca Whetzel launching an attack which was blocked by Whiteman.
The Lady Vikings served into the net, then Whetzel started serving for the Lady Cougars.
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There was good play at the net by both sides before Riggle found an opening for a kill, 4-3.
After an errant serve by Whetzel, Petersburg recorded two aces from Whiteman and Riggle hit the ball out giving the Lady Vikings an 8-3 edge.
East Hardy’s Perry Whetzel showed hustle making digs and Emily Yates displayed quickness tracking down the ball, then Petersburg had two attacks sail out of play.
Jaden Fleshman created a pair of kills to tie the first set for the Lady Cougars at 8-all.
During Dyer’s serve, Fleshman made an attack and it was returned into the net by the Lady Vikings.
Shultz returned a volley from Riggle, then Miller made a set for Fleshman landing a spike for a 10-8 East Hardy lead.
Petersburg’s Kim Minnich sent a volley beyond the back line, then Dyer served out.
During Shultz serve, the Lady Cougars hit the net thrice as Petersburg reclaimed the lead 12-11.
Yates had an attack returned into the net to even the score again.
Minnich created a spike, then Petersburg notched an ace from Sadee Dayton before the ensuing serve hit the net with the Lady Vikings holding a 14-13 edge.
An attack by Shultz was redirected into the net, then Miller made a kill.
East Hardy tied the set at 15-all as Dyer’s volley was deflected back into the net.
Fleshman’s serve was not returned, then the next serve landed in the net.
After an errant volley by the Lady Cougars, Miller created a set and nobody rotated to hit the ball as it landed for a Petersburg point.
Whiteman made an attack and a point was rewarded as the Lady Cougars touched the net.
East Hardy responded with a pair of spikes from Riggle to close the gap 19-18.
Whiteman made a kill and Aaliyah Goldizen served a point for the Lady Vikings.
Riggle garnered a spike and Rebecca Whetzel’s serve was returned into the net to help East Hardy take a 22-21 lead.
Yates created a point on an attack, then Dyer served up a point and the Lady Cougars closed the first set on an attack from Riggle which wasn’t returned, 25-22.
Miller began the second set serving an ace for East Hardy, then Petersburg’s Sadee Dayton made a bump pass sail over the net and it landed on the floor for a point.
Shultz garnered a kill and the Lady Cougars answered with an attack by Riggle forced through a block for a point locking the set at 2-all.
Petersburg took a 4-2 lead as Whiteman made a block and the Lady Cougars had an errant attack.
Riggle spiked the ball and an other attack by Riggle was met by a dig from Goldizen and Whiteman launched the ball out of play as the game was knotted at four apiece.
There were service errors into the net on both sides before Fleshman recorded a kill and Riggles served an ace for a 7-5 East Hardy lead.
Fleshman delivered a pair of aces for an 11-7 lead, but the Lady Vikings chipped away at the deficit to tie it at 14-all.
Petersburg’s Lafferre and Goldizen served up an ace apiece during that stretch and Whiteman made a couple kills.
East Hardy’s Rebecca Whetzel notched an ace plus a kill, while Miller and Riggle added spikes during that same time.
An attack by Yates was returned out of play giving the Lady Cougars the lead as Victoria Ames served and made a dig on Shultz prior to a kill from Fleshman for a 16-14 score.
Riggle created a kill, then Whiteman responded for the Lady Vikings with an attack returned into the net.
Riggle made a tap for a kill and served up an ace to put East Hardy ahead 19-15.
Perry Whetzel and Ames did a great job keeping the back row active with digs and saves.
Kills by Rebecca Whetzel and Riggle ended the second set giving the Lady Cougars a 25-18 win.
The third set was another close battle eight ties throughout.
Early in the set, East Hardy’s Rebecca Whetzel, Fleshman and Yates notched kills.
There were quite a number of errors on both sides.
Riggle served up an ace to tie the set for a fifth time at 9-all.Petersburg grabbed a 13-10 lead with the help of errors and aces by Dayton and Minnich.
After a service error, Riggle made a saving dig on a volley by Whiteman and Dyer passed to Rebecca Whetzel for a kill.
Miller made a kill off a pass from Rebecca Whetzel, then Perry Whetzel’s push attack wasn’t returned tying the set at 14-all.
Petersburg made a couple errors off attacks from Riggle and a serve from Rebecca Whetzel.
Dyer created spike and Whetzel’s served up an ace as the Lady Cougars steadily built a lead.
Riggle’s attack was met on a dig by the Lady Vikings and ricocheted out, then Riggle landed a spike to give East Hardy a 20-15 advantage.
Petersburg started a rally including several kills from Minnich and a couple errors enabled the Lady Vikings to tie the set at 22-all.
Miller made an attack and it was returned into the net as the Lady Cougars regained the lead, then Miller blocked Whiteman.
An attack by Fleshman was redirected into the net as East Hardy claimed the third set 25-22 and overall match 3-nil.
East Hardy JV squad defeated Petersburg 25-18 and 25-15.
The Lady Cougars host Moorefield on Thursday and travel to the Hedgesville Pumpkin Smash Tournament this Saturday.[/private]