Staff writer
The Cougar varsity volleyball team has started the season with a bang, winning its first two contests during the first week of play.
On Tuesday, the Cougars traveled to Calhoun to take on a tough McLean County team. In two very close games Grayson County prevailed, 25-23, 25-21.
On Thursday the team played its first home games as they hosted Hancock County. The Cougars blitzed the Hornets 25-10 in the first game, but in the second game they had to stave off six game-points before taking the second game 28-26 to win the match.
The JV girls had a tougher time of it, losing at McLean 14-21, 19-21, then losing a pair of games they could easily have won at home against Hancock County, 19-21, 19-21.
VARSITY @ McLEAN
The Cougars got off to a quick 5-0 start, with Rebecca Meredith getting a couple of kills and Allison Alvey recording two aces, but the offense went into a shell after that. For the next six possessions, the Cougars could manage only rally points as McLean climbed back into the game.
“I think the girls were thinking too much,” said head coach Kelli Harris. “They were trying to do what we wanted them to do, but we just couldn't get the offense going.”
During the offensive letdown, McLean tied the score three times, then took one-point leads on three other occasions.
With the score tied 12-12, Krista Fulkerson served two points, including another Meredith kill, and Grayson County never trailed again. Leading 16-15, Meredith served four points, including three straight aces to put the Cougars in charge 20-15.
McLean managed to tie the game once more at 23-23, but the Cougars worked a perfect slide play, with Fulkerson putting the ball down to move to game point. Alvey served and the Cougars worked the same play, this time with Meredith putting the ball away to give them the first-game win.
The second game looked like it would be a runaway when the Cougars raced out to a 10-2 lead, but McLean stopped the Cougar momentum and climbed back into the game.
“We told the girls that this was a scrappy team,” Harris said. “We have got to get over thinking that balls are gone and be ready for teams to make returns.”
McLean fought back to 12-9, then tied things at 18-18. With McLean serving tied at 19-19, Alvey came up with a kill to give the Cougars the ball leading 20-19. With Nicci Clark serving, the Cougar earned a point on a McLean hitting error, then Kelsie Skaggs earned a kill to make it 22-19. Another McLean hitting error made it 23-19 but Jessica Eubanks killed a ball to give it back to the home team. Fulkerson hit a ball just wide to make it 23-21, but then she put one in to give the Cougars the ball at match-point, 24-21.
When Clark dug a kill attempt, the ball went back to the McLean side, where Allison Tucker was waiting for the kill. However, Tucker whiffed on the ball, giving the Cougars the first match of the season.
VARSITY vs. HANCOCK
Though the Hornets took an early 1-5 lead, the Cougars quickly turned the first game into a rout. After the Hornets established their lead, they scored only rally points the rest of the way. Trailing 5-6, Mallory Carter served three points, including an ace and a Meredith kill, to give the Cougars a lead they would not give back.
Leading 9-7, Meredith served six straight points to put Grayson County in charge 15-7. Alvey pushed a ball into an open spot for a kill during the run and Meredith served one ace and had a wicked kill from the back line.
The Cougars worked the lead to 20-10 when Alvey served out for the win. Skaggs had a perfect placement on a pushed ball that landed in the back corner, and Fulkerson blocked a kill attempt at game-point to give the Cougars the win.
The second game looked like another rout would be in the offing after Carter served seven straight to make it 10-2, but Hancock came to life at that point. They kept coming back and eventually took the lead by as many as four points.
Trailing 20-23, Clark served a ball into the net to give the Hornets their first game-point, but Skaggs dinked a ball to give the Cougars new life at 21-24. Skaggs took the serve and immediately got help from an Alvey kill. Two Hornet hitting errors then tied things at 24-24.
The Hornets served twice more at game-point, but the Cougars were able to fight them off each time. Finally, with Fulkerson serving, a bad return of serve allowed Meredith to send a ball down at the net to give the Cougars a match-point. Skaggs was able to get a kill on two that barely trickled over the net to fall untouched to give the Cougars the win.
JV VS McLEAN
Neither team led by more than three points until Mclean took control late in the first game. Leading 13-14, McLean ran off six straight points to move to game-point. The Cougars won the serve back, but then a hitting error gave McLean the 14-21 win.
In the second game, the Cougars fought back from an 8-15 deficit to get within a point of a deuce game, but could not sustain the comeback. Trailing 14-20, Leah Elmore served five straight points, including two aces, but when her last serve sailed long, McLean had its victory.
JV vs. HANCOCK
Trailing 9-10 in the first game, Casey Meredith served five straight points to give the Cougars a 14-10 lead. They maintained that lead until the Hornets took over the serve trailing 19-15. Two kills and a call for being in the net gave the Hornets three quick points and the Cougars called a timeout.
It didn't help, though as an ace by Mycah Wroe tied the game, then a Cougar hitting error gave the Hornets a match-point. The Cougars had a perfect set on a ball, but when it was hit into the net it gave the Hornets the win.
In the second game, Grayson County trailed nearly the whole way. Leading 16-18, the Hornets moved to match-point with the serve, but a hitting error gave the Cougars one last chance. With Kelsey Blanton serving, Amber Thomas got a kill and Blanton served an ace to make it 19-20, forcing Hancock to call a timeout. Back on the court, Thomas was set up for another kill to tie the game, but this time she put the ball into the net and the Hornets had their victory.
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