The Lady Cougar volleyball team improved to 17-6 on Senior Night with a straight-set, 25-4, 25-15 win over visiting Fredrerick Fraize, from Cloverport. The JV squad also won its match against the Aces, though in split sets, 21-15, 18-21, 21-13.
VARSITY MATCH
Before the game, the team celebrated its four seniors, Chailey Maples, Cherie Meredith, Olivia Lucas and Laura Higdon.
The first set was no contest after the Lady Cougars opened with a 7-1 run. Leading 12-4, Lucas took the serve and served out for the win. Lucas had five aces in the run and Rylie Hayes put away a kill on set-point to seal the deal.
Grayson County again raced out to a 7-1 lead at the start of the second set, but the Aces, a much-improved team, fought back to tie it at 7-7. Junior Reagan Henderson served three straight aces to cap a 6-0 run to tie things.
The score stayed close, though the Lady Cougars never trailed. They pushed the lead to three points at 12-9, four points at 15-11, then seven points at 18-11.
Leading by eight, 21-13, the Lady Cougars got kills from Ella Robinson, Brieanna Boll and Lucas to take it to match-point at 24-13, but a service error gave the ball back to the Aces.
The Aces were able to fend off another match point to make it 24-15, but a service error on their part gave the win to Grayson County.
JV MATCH
Boll opened the game serving for the Lady Cougars, who reeled off nine straight points to put the set out of reach right at the start. Boll had four aces during the run.
Cloverport was never closer than eight points after that until their last serve. Grayson County had a set-point at 20-12, but Katie Skaggs was whistled for being in the net and the serve went back to the Aces. Freshman Lindsey Thurman served two aces to bring it to 20-15, but Hayes came up with a kill to give the Lady Cougars the first-set win.
The second set was a barn-burner, with only a point or two separating the two teams the whole set. The Aces were able to grab a two-point advantage late in the set. Leading 19-17, Thurman served an ace to take it to set-point for the Aces, then backed that up with another ace to allow the Aces to tie the match at a set apiece.
The final set was all Grayson County after the Lady Cougars opened with a 7-1 run. The Lady Aces came back to within four points of the lead at 15-11, but with Hayes serving at 19-13, the Aces were called for a lift, taking it to match-point, and when Hayes responded with an ace, the match went to Grayson County.
The Lady Cougars were scheduled to host Hancock County (10-14), one of the teams that defeated them early on, on Tuesday before the big showdown in Thursday’s final game of the regular season against 11th District rival, Whitesville Trinity. Trinity (19-6) took a 3-1 victory over the Lady Cougars back in August in a very close match and the Lady Cougars are looking for some payback.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k104.com
