Bears volleyball gets wins when it matters

Talk about a struggling season for a high school athletic program building such a winning tradition over the past decade. Two 2-0 losses to Northgate. Non-area losses to both city rivals Warner Robins and Northside, plus one more to Veterans High. Two 2-1 losses to Harris County. Three 2-0 losses to Northside-Columbus.

And yet, Houston County High jumped ahead of the class of Area 2-AAAAA Tuesday taking matches that did count towards tournament seeding against those same rival Demonettes and Eagles. The Bears and coach Maria Huelsman rallied from numerous deficits for a dramatic 2-1 victory over Northside right after sweeping Warner Robins High, the host school for the area tripleheader.

The Eagles of coach Jessica White were the fresher group when the clash with Houston County began, and it showed with an early Game 1 lead of 9-5. Out of a timeout, the Bears received a service ace by Langley Anderson and a kill by Gabi Clevenger. Sophomore setter Lainey Choinere put up an assist converted by Ashley Peguese in a corner, and the game was tied 11-11.

A series of hitting errors sent the Eagles back into the lead at 14-11, but as mistakes evened out Katelyn Oxendine of Houston smashed back-to-back aces to forge another tie (15-15). While the Bears had Oxendine and Peguese up front, the Eagles possessed some size of their own at the net. Sunshine Walton scored up close giving Northside back the advantage.

Such edges didn’t last long in this environment. While Anderson served an ace, it was Abbie Luttrell’s set to Chiara Barbolini giving the Eagles the counter point (20-20). It takes a two-point lead to win a volleyball game, even if one side reaches 25, and Clevenger gave the Bears such a margin on serve.

Houston also overcame the digging efforts by Northside’s Portia Wilson and Barbolini. With Nikole Rutter’s let ace, the Bears finished off the game at 25-21.

Most of Game 2 belonged to White’s Eagles, Walton opening up the action with a solid one-on-one block. Wilson was active controlling the back line, and with Maya Palmer scored from Luttrell’s set for 5-3.

Houston County couldn’t sustain any scoring spurts, even after a scoring hit by libero player Haley Cornett. Northside pulled away with six in a row beginning with a double block executed by Kaya McCartney and Tia Wesley. Wesley added a kill, and Palmer’s service ace completed the run at 14-5.

The Eagles were up as much as 11, 19-8, from Luttrell’s assist in the middle to Wesley. Chionere gave the Bears an ace on serve, but Northside countered quickly with a McCartney kill set by Luttrell. Oxendine also aced one of her serves, and with heroic effort to save a ball in play by Hannah Caudill, Clevenger scored on a block.

Caudill later cashed in a Chionere set, bringing the score to 22-14. In the end, Palmer hit a let ace for a Northside 25-15 game win and even match.

The third and deciding game also went to 25 points, and after 25 rallies it looked like the Eagles were destined for a big area triumph. The first 10 serves ended with a 5-5 tie, Wilson giving her side an ace and Walton scoring from a Luttrell set.

The Bears had three early net violations, but at 6-6 Caudill gave her side another big kill through blocks off Chionere’s passing. Houston led by as much as three, 10-7, with one more assist going to Chionere from a tap score by Oxendine.

Ten of the next 11 rallies went in the favor of the Eagles; it all began with the simple combination of Wilson’s dig, Lutrell’s assist and Walton’s kill. Lutrell also set a ball McCartney hit inbounds by the back line. Walton also scored inside the right side and McCartney aced the count to 17-11 Eagles.

Clevenger scored two kills in helping her team get within three; Northside countering on a Wilson-Lutrell-Walton play (19-15). For the Bears, the match turned on a 9-0 run featuring three Anderson aces and a go-ahead kill by Caudill through the defense’s hands.

Down 24-19 and facing match point, Lutrell made two assists to Palmer and McCartney. Clevenger, though, secured the win tapping Choinere’s set over the blocks (25-21).

Warner Robins High would take the night’s finale 2-0 against Northside. The Demonettes and coach Tracy Findley fell into deep holes when facing Houston County, which prevailed at the onset of action 25-13, 25-21.

Play was highly competitive between the rivals, Clevenger forging a 9-9 tie in Game 1. But the Bears went ahead 14-10, and out of a timeout Oxendine smashed a kill in the middle. Peguese also scored via Chionere on the outside, and Oxendine used both hands in two shots for a 19-11 edge.

Warner Robins setter Kara Walker earned two assists to Megan Hill and Ebony Thomas, but it was not enough to counter a long kill from Cornett and an Oxendine ace for game point.

Oxendine continued to swing hard, pacing the Bears to 4-0 in Game 2. Kate Hill, using some authority outside and help from Walker, set things right for the hosts at 4-3. Hill had two kills assisted by Walker in the first 15 rallies. Oxendine came up with a couple of more Bear points, and two aces from Anderson opened the advantage to five, 11-6. Two services errors by the Demonettes put the score at 16-9.

The rally of the game ended with Choinere’s set to Peguese. Those two paired for a point on the next serve and Peguese’s ace ended a 5-0 run for 20-9. The ending, however, was not that easy.

Warner Robins scored five straight, errors mounting up on the Bears. Oxendine scored on the back line, but then Walker set kills by Kate Hill and Thomas making it 22-17. It was 23-21 on Hill’s sideline ace and Walker’s assist to Thomas.

The next two points quietly went to the Bears for the match win.

HHJ News