The Cougars Volleyball team kept the undefeated streak against Class A opponents going strong with a straight set smashing over Pendleton County in Baker on Thursday: 25-13, 25-14 and 25-20.
Prior to the match, East Hardy Volleyball senior Madison Kerr was recognized in a special ceremony for achieving 1,000 career kills which came early in the week on the road against Moorefield.
“I am very thrilled to achieve 1,000 kills and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family, friends and the hard work I put in. I listened to my coaches telling me what I needed to do and thankful for their advice,” East Hardy senior Madison Kerr stated.
Kerr joins the Cougars 1,000 kill club which includes several in the past decade: Morganne Miller, Morgan Mongold and Maxine Cassell.
“I am most proud of how much work Madison had put into this game. She puts in hours and hours in here and the stuff we don’t see is the summer time work. She is in here working on her craft when nobody else is here. To have a middle hitter to get 1,000 kills is a really huge accomplishment. We have had a few outside hitters reach the milestone recently. It just speaks volumes to her ability to find spots. You can’t swing without having the ball where it is suppose to be and that is a credit to her teammates over the years, especially Xavia Barber, Amelia Garrett and Hannah Riggle,” East Hardy coach Chris Hahn commented.
The Wildcats were assessed a violation on rotation stance to begin the match.
East Hardy would build a 10-1 lead moving forward as Madison Kerr hammered the ball five times in that stretch, while Amelia Garrett and Harper Kline served up an ace apiece.
Pendleton County’s Tia Heavner notched two spikes to claw back to 10-4.
East Hardy’s Xavia Barber delivered an ace and Kerr made two kills before a spike by Garrett for a 15-5 lead with the ball bouncing behind the bleachers with the Wildcats not chasing after it.
The referee gave Pendleton County a yellow card for not making the effort to track down the ball.
The line judge tried to help find the ball behind the bleachers, but that wasn’t part of her responsibility.
The Wildcats notched a point on an attack by Colbie Wimer, while Vaylee Harper recorded a save on an attack by Xavia Barber.
East Hardy’s Danica Wolfe had a serve returned back out of play for a point.
Garrett made three straight spikes for a 20-7 Cougars advantage.
The Wildcats countered with a spike by Kinsley Price after a timeout, then Harper landed an ace.
East Hardy’s Georgia Hahn made a dig and Hannah Riggle set for Charlee Hahn to slam the ball.
East Hardy’s Madilyn Funk blocked a shot for a 23-11 lead.
Ava Bowers recorded a kill for the Wildcats, but that was countered with a spike by Kerr for the Cougars.
“We kept swinging and smashing the ball to where they couldn’t get to it,” Kerr noted.
An attack by Heavner was returned into the net, but East Hardy answered to close the set on a spike by Riggle, 25-13.
The Cougars started the second set with a block by Kerr and a serve from Harper Kline was returned out, 2-0.
There were service errors on both sides prior to an ace by Barber for the Cougars.
Kerr and Garrett made attacks to put East Hardy up 8-3.
Pendleton County battled back as Alyssa Bennett slammed the ball and added an ace, plus Heavner landed a spike for an 8-6 score.
Kerr created a point on a swing, but the ensuing serve by Danica Wolfe sailed low.
The Cougars huddled up for encouragement, then Garrett spiked the ball and Riggle served an ace.
Madilyn Funk got a dig and Charlee Hahn finished off the sequence with a spike to put East Hardy up 12-7.
The Cougars held a 16-11 lead after a block and kill by Pendleton County’s Colbie Wimer.
Kerr’s attack was sent back into the net, then Wolfe added a block and Riggle served an ace giving East Hardy a 20-12 lead.
Wolfe finished off the second set with two aces as the Cougars won 25-14.
The Cougars went up 4-1 in the second set as Kerr blocked the ball and Barber landed a kill in the back corner of the court.
The Cougars pounced to a 20-11 advantage with several more spikes by Kerr and a brilliant save for a point by Riggle.
Pendleton County’s Bennett and Phoebe Pownell served up aces during a fight to close the gap to 21-17.
Charlee Hahn slammed the ball for the final point of the match as the Cougars won 25-20 and 3-0 overall.
“Pendleton County is a good team and doesn’t allow the ball to hit the floor that much. Credit to our team for swinging with a little more power than they did,” coach Hahn concluded.
