The Lady Yellow Jackets were grounded on the courts by Parkersburg Catholic in the Class A state volleyball quarterfinals at the Charleston Civic Center last Friday in straight sets: 25-17, 25-11 and 25-20.
Moorefield entered the state tournament for a fifth straight season, but that experience wasn’t enough to survive the attacks by the Lady Crusaders causing an early exit.
Parkersburg Catholic had a hiatus from the state tournament for about six years and advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1995.
Even though the visit to Charleston was shorter than expected, the Lady Yellow Jackets were energized by the group of classmates supporting their squad through a pep bus trip.
“The first set we came out a little sluggish and fought our way back a couple times, second set same thing and third set same thing, but they didn’t stop. They didn’t give up and kept fighting and fighting. I think that says a lot about them and the way they played the whole season. We’ve had a lot of situations this season and we continued to battle through them and that says a lot about our team and their character,” Moorefield Coach Morgan Hill-See commented.
“To come down here and have a pep bus cheering them on, they’ve never had that before and that really helped. We adjusted and caught on to what really worked for us too late in the game to continue on and make it happen. There was lots of energy out there and it helped give them the extra push to keep going there in the third set. It was exciting to watch them make that run, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to put us where we needed to be. Parkersburg Catholic attacked the middle and they go for the lines a lot. They were tall and fast and we just had to cover those spots. We have to make a dig so we can get a pass to our setters in order to get a swing for our hitters and it just didn’t happen.”
The state volleyball matches were played on three courts simultaneously with each class represented with plenty of excitement, but the freedom to have these contests couldn’t be possible without the protection of our military service members and all veterans in attendance were shown respect with an announcement and applause moments before the national anthem.
Starting the opening set serve was Parkersburg Catholic’s Jenna Boice and Moorefield’s Anna Riggleman made the pass to Lindsey Rinker setting for Hanna Carlson to make an attack.
The Lady Crusaders defended the attack, then Moorefield’s Alyssa Vetter launched a volley and it was met with a dig by Parkersburg Catholic’s Paige Stotts and redirected into the net.
On Rinker’s serve, the Lady Crusaders evened the set on a kill by Aaliyah Brunny.
Elaina Ross notched a spike and Gracie Lowers served an ace after a hit into the net putting Parkersburg Catholic up 4-1.
Moorefield’s Rebekah Markwood earned a point off an attack, but the Lady Crusaders answered on a volley from Ross during Vetter’s serve.
Markwood made a push attack and the ball was returned into the net, but the ensuing serve by Carlson hit the net.
Moorefield’s Sydney Hardy and Madison McGregor made digs on attacks from Brunny before Boice found the floor for a 7-3 lead.
An attack by Parkersburg Catholic’s Paige Stotts was saved by McGregor and Remington Hinkle’s volley created a point for the Lady Yellow Jackets as it was deflected out of bounds.
A push point by Markwood during Hardy’s serve closed the gap to 7-5.
Ross made a kill prior to serving into the net, then Markwood’s jump serve was saved by Boice and returned into the net, 9-6.
Riggleman made a save on an attack by Brunny, but it landed just out of bounds over the net.
A serve from Stotts was redirected into the net as the Lady Crusaders took an 11-6 lead and timeout was called.
Vetter’s attack was blocked by Brunny and Boice created a point on a volley,
Hardy notched a dig, then Rinker’s attack ricocheted off Brunny and carried as the Lady Yellow Jackets earned the point.
Riggleman’s serve was returned into the net creating a 13-8 score.
Moorefield’s Gracie O’Neill made an attack and it was blocked by Brunny.
After an errant volley by the Lady Crusaders, Brunny and Ross executed spikes.
On a serve by Lowers, Markwood’s dig careened over the net and landed for a point, 16-10.
Parkersburg Catholic responded with three kills by Ross, but struggled to close out the set.
O’Neill’s volley was carried by the Lady Crusaders, then O’Neill served up an ace for the Lady Yellow Jackets.
After a spike from Ross, Markwood’s attack was returned into the net.
The Lady Yellow Jackets hit the ball four times during a volley from Boice and Markwood added a point on a push.
Markwood’s serve was sent back out of bounds as Moorefield sliced the deficit to 21-15.
Parkersburg Catholic took momentum back on three kills from Brunny before Stotts served out of bounds.
Carlson made an attack that was redirected into the net, but the Lady Crusaders closed the set on a spike by Brunny for a 25-17 score.
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Parkersburg Catholic created a 5-nil edge in the second set of the state quarterfinals as Brunny notched two kills, Boice had a serve returned out and added a spike and Madison Ross landed a kill.
An attack from Rinker was returned into the net for the Lady Yellow Jackets, 5-1.
Hardy made a dig on an attack by Brunny, but it caromed out of bounds and the ensuing serve by Lowers hit the net.
Riggleman notched a dig and Carlson saved the volley from spinning out of play with Riggleman returning the ball.
Madison Ross gained a point on a kill, then Elaina Ross and two attacks fended off on digs by Riggleman before landing a spike for an 8-2 lead.
Parkersburg Catholic’s Emily Pederson served and it was returned into the net before another failed to clear it, 9-3.
After a point by Elaina Ross, Arianna Nedeff delivered an ace for the Lady Crusaders prior to sending the next serve out of bounds.
On a sequence at the net by Rinker, the Lady Crusaders were penalized for touching the net.
Markwood served an ace as Moorefield cut the deficit to 11-6.
An attack by Vetter sailed wide, then Markwood made a save by the bench on a serve from Elaina Ross leading to a push kill by Riggleman.
Riggleman served out of bounds, then Stotts notched a point during a serve and Madison Ross made a block for a 15-7 advantage.
Stotts served out of play, then Brunny recorded a kill.
The Lady Yellow Jackets had attacks from Carlson and Hardy redirected into the net for a 16-10 score.
Moorefield’s next volley was in the net, then Lowers served and it was met on a dig by Madison McGregor.
A point went to the Lady Crusaders as a hit went awry, then Hardy and McGregor made digs on attacks from Madison Ross.
Parkersburg Catholic’s Elizabeth Lowther sent a volley over the net and it was deflected into it.
An ace delivered by Lowers put the Lady Crusaders ahead 20-10.
The Lady Yellow Jackets earned one more point in the set off a service error, then Parkersburg closed the set on five straight points.
Ross made a block on Hardy and Peterson served up three aces before a volley by Stotts was returned into the net for the final set point, 25-11.
“We just had to be ready for anything that came back in the deep corners are short and read the hitters, especially on the second ball they throw it over and catch us by surprise. I think it was important for us to adjust on that,” Parkersburg Coach Amanda Weatherwax remarked.
“If you don’t have any blockers up or one blocker up, you just have to find a spot on the floor and swing away. They were very scrappy and picked up a lot of stuff and sent it back over, so we had to be on our toes constantly. I am very proud of them and their hard work, focus and their teamwork, especially has gotten us this far.”
The season was on the line in the third set and the Lady Yellow Jackets came out swinging as the energy buzz amplified.
Moorefield’s Hanna Carlson and Alyssa Vetter smashed the ball for a 2-nil edge.
After a kill by Parkersburg Catholic’s Aaliyah Brunny, a serve from Lowers had to be replayed and Vetter scored on a push attack, 3-1.
Elaina Ross netted a spike during a serve from Vetter.
An attack by Ross was saved by Riggleman and the next volley went out of bounds.
Carlson served and it was returned by Ross for a kill.
Hinkle launched an attack for the Lady Yellow Jackets and it ricocheted back into the net.
McGregor made a dig save on a volley from Brunny, then Madison Ross and Brunny recorded spikes to tie the set at 5-all.
Kills by Brunny and Madison Ross plus a block out of bounds put the Lady Crusaders ahead 9-5.
A serve by Elaina Ross was greeted on a dig by McGregor and Vetter pushed the ball over the net, but it was sent back for a kill by Brunny.
Vetter launched the ball for a spike, then Riggleman served and Lowers made a dig.
A dig by Hardy kept play alive after a point from Madison Ross and a saving volley from Riggleman was redirected into the net.
Brunny blocked Carlson before Lowers served two aces to make it 16-8.
Vetter’s next attack was returned out of bounds, then delivered two aces and another serve was carried to cut the deficit to 16-12.
Moorefield gained two more points on attacks by Carlson and Vetter prior to a timeout.
After the break, Markwood created a point off a push for a 16-15 score.
McGregor and Markwood executed digs during volleys from Elaina Ross, then Hardy notched a push kill and the Lady Yellow Jackets regained the lead on an ace by Carlson, 18-17.
An attack by Parkersburg Catholic’s Boice was returned into the net.
Nedeff garnered a point off a serve before landing the next one out of bounds to lock the set at 19-all.
McGregor made a save and Rinker pushed the ball over, but the Lady Crusaders responded with kills by Elaina Ross and Brunny to go up 21-19.
An attack by Brunny was returned out of play by the Lady Yellow Jackets.
Ross served out of bounds following a timeout, then Markwood began to serve.
Brunny sandwiched spikes around an ace delivered by Stotts to win the third set 25-20 as Parkersburg Catholic advanced to the semifinals and lost to eventual state champion Magnolia.
“It’s been an honor to finish every volleyball season at the state tournament, especially my senior year,” Moorefield senior Rebekah Markwood noted.
“We’ve never been able to take a pep bus until this year and it was uplifting to finally get to experience what other schools always get to experience.”
The Lady Yellow Jackets gained more experience and were encouraged by their cheering section during a losing battle playing with heart and good sportsmanship.
Moorefield knows what work needs to be done to return to Charleston next season, so the Hive will be buzzing loudly.
This year’s state champions were: Class A Magnolia, Class AA Bridgeport and Class AAA Spring Valley.
The Class A Sportsmanship award was presented to the Williamstown Lady Yellowjackets.
The National Federation of High Schools Coaches Association’s state volleyball coach of the year award recipient was East Hardy coach Marsha Hahn.
The Class A State Volleyball All-Tournament team members selected were: Magnolia’s Kayla Anderson, Kendra Pliant and Mady Winters; Tyler Consolidated’s JoLee Walton, Josey Jones and Regan Smith; Williamstown’s Bethany Arnold and Faith Hoosier; and Parkersburg Catholic’s Aaliyah Brunny.
“Everybody has the goal to reach Charleston and what we fought through on Saturday [regionals] says an absolute lot about them in ten games that were hard fought battles where you lose and you go home. You’ve got to be proud of them and they’ve accomplished a lot. You’ve seen them grow all season and they have come around and started to bloom. Alyssa [Vetter] and Bekah [Markwood], this is it for our two seniors. Alyssa started peaking mid-season and was doing great. Bekah fought some injuries and came back to be able to finish her senior career. The adversity we overcame this year made them stronger,” Coach Hill-See concluded.
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