Moorefield Volleyball pointed to the Class A Region II Section 2 championship hardware after securing a second straight title over the Lady Cougars in four sets: 25-17, 25-21, 15-25, 25-21 last Thursday in the Hive.
East Hardy Volleyball won the section championship the previous dozen seasons, however, the changing climate still keeps the foundation of future volleyball success growing within Hardy County.
“It is exciting to see them come out and play the way they did tonight. We came out super strong in the first game, but we started to fizzle out in the second game and completely fizzled out in the third game, but they came back out in the fourth set rallying. There was a lot of energy back and forth. It was a very sound game on both sides. We have to be more consistent and really focus on our serves. It is a goal we set at the beginning of the season and we are going to continue to practice to come back out and play for a win. This is our first time hosting the regionals, so it is very special for us and for our seniors. It is nice not to make the trip out there. We are going to [private] enjoy every moment of it,” Moorefield coach Morgan Hill See commented.
The Lady Cougars defeated Pendleton County in the semifinal round 25-16, 25-12, 25-15 to reach the section title match, while Moorefield ousted Paw Paw in straight sets.
Moorefield opened the first set of the section championship with a 9-1 lead starting with an ace served by Lindsey Rinker, then the Lady Cougars responded with a kill by Erin Riggle.
The Lady Yellow Jackets quickly regained the lead on a spike by Remington Hinkle.
A serve by Madison McGregor was initially saved by East Hardy’s Jaden Fleshman and Perry Whetzel with the redirection hitting the net.
Moorefield’s Alyson Simmons garnered a block and Hinkle landed a kill to make it 5-1.
McGregor served several aces to reach the 9-1 advantage, then an attack by the Lady Yellow Jackets went awry.
Moorefield’s Sydney Hardy and East Hardy’s Perry Whetzel made digs, before Hinkle created a spike.
Hardy and Hinkle added to the Lady Yellow Jackets damage with attacks extending the lead, 12-2.
East Hardy’s SierraMarie Miller launched the ball and it deflected off a Moorefield player for a point.
A pair of spikes by Hardy put Moorefield ahead 15-4.
The Lady Cougars chipped away at the deficit with a spike by Rebecca Whetzel and a service error.
Moorefield’s Gracie O’Neill had a volley blocked by East Hardy’s Emily Dyer and Rebecca Whetzel, then countered with a push to the line for a kill.
After a block by Simmons, the Lady Cougars responded with an attack by Emily Yates.
Miller made a dig on a volley by O’Neill and Fleshman lifted the ball over the net for a point as Moorefield touched the net in violation.
East Hardy’s Victoria Ames served two aces to cut into the deficit at 19-13.
Fleshman and Miller made some kills down the stretch, but the Lady Yellow Jackets countered with spikes by Hardy to close out the set, 25-17.
The second set was close as errors kept the balance throughout out the earlier portion.
Moorefield scored the initial point as Hinkle’s attack was returned out of play.
An attack by Riggle deflected off the Lady Yellow Jackets to tie the set for East Hardy.
O’Neill pushed an attack through a block for a point and delivered an ace to put Moorefield up again 3-1.
East Hardy’s Perry Whetzel made a dig, then a set from Miller to Riggle enabled an attack and it was sent back into the net by the Lady Yellow Jackets.
There were a number of service errors prior to a kill by Riggle giving East Hardy a 7-6 lead.
McGregor launched the ball and it was blocked by Riggle, then an attack from Whetzel was returned out of bounds.
Riggle, Yates and Miller recorded points off kills plus a couple errors created a 16-11 edge.
Yates and Miller made dig saves before McGregor countered with a kill and Simmons served two aces to cut the deficit to 16-14.
O’Neill and Hinkle made kills plus some mistakes helped the Lady Yellow Jackets close the gap.
Moorefield secured the second set as O’Neill delivered three aces down the stretch, 25-21.
Rinker delivered an ace to begin the third set, but the ensuing serve had a little too much power going out.
East Hardy’s Rebecca Whetzel served and Hinkle returned the ball through a block.
Riggle launched an attack and it was met with a dig by Hardy for a point as Moorefield went up 3-1.
A couple of errors and a block by Riggle enabled the Lady Cougars to tie the set.
Simmons and Miller made blocks before Yates served into the net.
After a tap spike by Hardy, the Lady Cougars counted with a block by Miller.
Moorefield had a volley sail out, then Miller landed two kills and Fleshman served two aces to give East Hardy an 11-8 lead.
Later in the set, East Hardy created a 20-13 lead with the help of a few kills by Riggle plus some errors before Moorefield’s Hanna Carlson made a couple of spikes,
The Lady Cougars closed out the set with a kill by Miller and three consecutive aces from Fleshman for a 25-15 score.
East Hardy carried the momentum into the fourth set with Riggle landing two kills and Whetzel serving an ace for a 3-0 lead, but the Lady Yellow Jackets rallied to tie the set on push kills from Hinkle and block by Simmons.
Moorefield took an 8-5 lead as Hinkle served an ace and Hardy spiked the ball.
The Lady Cougars fell behind 16-9, then attacks by Riggle and serves from Yates and Rebecca Whetzel started to chip away at the deficit.
Riggle sandwiched two spikes around a block by Rinker with Moorefield holding a 17-16 lead.
A couple of errors off attacks from Simmons helped the Lady Yellow Jackets maintain the edge.
Moorefield’s Anna Riggleman and Kaleigh Hunt made digs and Rinker created a point off a push attack.
Simmons served up an ace to give the Lady Yellow Jackets a 22-18 lead.
East Hardy answered with a kill and ace from Fleshman to close the gap, but Moorefield created two more points off a spike by McGregor and a serve by Hardy.
Miller blocked an attack, then the Lady Yellow Jackets finished the match with a spike by O’Neill, 25-21 to win the section championship 3-1.
Moorefield and East Hardy advanced to the Region II Tournament as the top two teams in the section.[/private]
