The Cougar volleyball teams opened their seasons last Tuesday by dropping all three matches in straight sets at Hancock County.

The varsity squad was never really in the game in either set, losing 21-25, 15-25. The JV squad had little success either, dropping both sets 14-21, 13-21. The freshman team played the best of all the teams. They came from behind in the first set to take a late lead before falling 20-22. In the second set, the young Cougars stayed close throughout, but fell in the end 19-21.

VARSITY

Head coach Nancy Mudd is faced with the task of replacing eight seniors with young players without much varsity experience and it showed against the Lady Hornets, a team on the rise.

Grayson County took an early 5-1 lead, but it didn’t last long. With NaKaya McMannaway serving, the Lady Hornets tied it at 5-5, getting back-to-back kills from Kaylen Ogle, and another one from Abbey Marsh.

The Cougars earned a side out, but gave the ball right back to Hancock at 6-6. The Lady Hornets then took charge with six straight points. Grayson County had four hitting errors in the run.

The Lady Hornets extended their lead to as many as 10 points before the Lady Cougars began playing better. They put together an 8-1 run to pull to within three points at 21-24, but setter Shea Boone was called for a double-hit on a set attempt ending the game.

In the second, after Grayson County held a four-point lead at 8-4, Hancock County scored four straight to tie it. With the score standing knotted at 11-11, Hancock siezed control. They scored seven straight points, including two dink kills from Sara Adkins, and the Lady Cougars never challenged again.

JV

The Lady Cougars took a 3-1 lead at the start of the first game, but five straight Hancock points gave them a lead they would not relinquish.

Grayson County trailed by just two points, 8-10, when the Lady Hornets’ Betty Jane Williams took over the serve. Two straight aces doubled the lead before five straight Grayson County hitting errors ballooned the Hancock lead to 8-17 and the Lady Cougars never recovered.

In the second game the lead see-sawed until Kelsey Stites took over the serve for Hancock trailing 12-11. An ace started a 6-0 run that put the Lady Hornets on top 12-17.

Grayson County earned a sideout to make it 13-17, but Tanisha Johnson had a kill to give the ball back to the home team at 13-18. Abbey Marsh then served out the match and served an ace on match point to give her team the win.

FRESHMEN

The Lady Cougars fell behind in the early going by as many as six points, 5-11, before beginning a rally that put them in the lead.

Four straight points, including an ace by Amber Smith pulled the Lady Couars to within two points at 10-12.

A kill by Katie Newton gave Grayson County its first lead of the game at 15-14.

Grayson County built the lead to as many as four points before serving a set-point at 20-17, but Newton put a ball in the net, giving the Lady Hornets new life. They took advantage by never giving the ball back to win 20-22 in overtime.

In the second game, the Hornets got a pair of aces from Emma Thrasher in a four-point run that put them in front for good at 4-6. They built a five-point lead at 12-17, but Grayson County fought back to within two at 16-18.

An ace by Katherine McCrady brought Grayson County to within a point at 19-20, but her next serve was in the net giving Hancock the win.