By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
It was curtain time as Moorefield Middle School Volleyball closed the stage against the Lady Cougars obtaining the goal of winning both 7th grade and 8th grade matches during the second battle of the Hardy County squads in Moorefield last Tuesday.
The Lady Yellow Jackets were victorious in straight sets taking the 7th grade match by scores of 25-13 and 25-19, then defeated East Hardy Early Middle School in the 8th grade match 25-14 and 25-19.
“I am very proud of my girls, just to see the improvement they made from day one to now. It is always good to see the teamwork on the court. You’re not going to win games, unless you have that and very proud is an understatement,” Moorefield Middle Volleyball Coach Chessie Vetter commented.
“It was really good to get the win tonight. The last time we played East Hardy, our 7th grade had lost and our 8th grade won. Our goal was to bring home two wins tonight and they didn’t disappoint.”
In the 8th grade match, Moorefield Middle started with a 3-1 lead kicked off by an attack by McKenna Crites returned into the net.
Both teams made errors, then MMS earned a point on a serve from Sarah Iman.
Addison Armentrout made a pair of kills for the Lady Cougars, then Jerin Billmeyer served three aces putting EHEMS ahead 6-3.
The Lady Yellow Jackets rallied to take a 9-6 lead beginning with an error by EHEMS.
MMS’s Sophia Hardy served up five points with the help of Crites making a couple of kills.
After a serve into the net, EHEMS’s Chloe Miller’s serve was returned out of bounds.
Crites created two points off of attacks, the the Lady Cougars notched a point on a save by Jenna Combs that cleared the net and landed on the other side.
The Lady Yellow Jackets garnered points on kills from CiCi Kump and Seanna Heavner, plus an ace from Heavner developed a 16-10 lead.
Amber Williams made a bump pass that drifted over the net for a kill as MMS went up 20-13, then both teams hit volleys into the net.
Williams added another point on a kill and the Lady Yellow Jackets finished the first set on three consecutive aces from Crites for a 25-14 win.
EHEMS’s Jenna Combs started the service on the second set and the ball was returned into the net.
Iman notched a kill for the Lady Yellow Jackets to tie the set.
Kump’s serve was returned by EHEMS’s MorganAnn Miller with a soft touch just barely clearing the top of the net and falling to the floor.
The Lady Cougars took a 4-1 lead as Billmeyer delivered two aces.
MMS responded with a spike from Iman and a block by Armentrout was saved by Hardy for a point.
EHEMS had a volley sail out, but the next attack from Armentrout was returned into the net, 5-3.
Crites had an attack met with a dig by EHEMS’s Kiley Funkhouser and ricocheted out of play.
An attack by Combs garnered a point for the Lady Cougars.
Crites made a kill for MMS, then EHEMS hit the ball out of bounds.
A serve from Crites sailed awry, then Miller’s serve was returned out as EHEMS took an 8-6 lead.
MMS’s Amber Williams notched a spike and served an ace to tie the set.
After a service error, a dig by Crites went over the net and the Lady Cougars couldn’t corral it.
The Lady Cougars had two errors on volleys before Heavner provided a pair of aces for MMS to take a 13-9 advantage.
Both team hit the ball out of bounds prior to a kill by EHEMS’s Armentrout, 14-11.
The Lady Yellow Jackets recorded points on attacks by Crites and Hardy plus an ace by Kump for a 17-11 lead.
Armentrout sandwiched two kills around a serve by Billmeyer that was retuned into the net as the Lady Cougars clawed black 17-14.
There were some errors on both sides before MMS’s Sophia Hardy delivered an ace for a 20-16 lead.
After a service error, Combs had an attack chased down by Hardy and not returned to cut the deficit to 20-18.
Williams launched an attack and it was redirected out of play, then a serve by Crites was returned into the net to put the Lady Yellow Jackets up 22-18.
Armentrout’s attack wasn’t returned giving the Lady Cougars one more point.
After an error, an ace by Williams and a kill by Iman ended the match giving the Lady Yellow Jackets a 25-19 second set victory and 2-nil match win.
EHEMS ends the regular season at home against Warm Springs tomorrow, while Moorefield Middle hosts Romney Middle.
m Springs tomorrow, while Moorefield Middle hosts Romney Middle.
The Lady Yellow Jackets will compete in the Belington Bump Fest on Saturday.
Both teams will participate in the Potomac Valley League Tournament on October 29-31.