Pink Out: Class AA Moorefield Volleyball donned pink uniforms for breast cancer awareness night in the Hive as the Class A Cougars pounced inside to dig for a cure and a smashing victory.
East Hardy grounded the Yellow Jackets with a straight set match win: 25-25-14, 25-15 and 25-18.
“The key is to have more points than the other team in the end. We turned on our offense to make attacks in our system. We were able to see what they were doing and apply pressure. Our passing allowed us to get into position to make kills,” East Hardy coach Chris Hahn remarked.
Each fan received breast cancer awareness socks upon arrival into the Charlotte Hill gymnasium from an EA Hawse Health representative.
East Hardy’s Amelia Garrett began the match serving and the Cougars’ Madison Kerr created a spike for the initial edge.
The Yellow Jackets responded with a kill from Annie Barr.
Moorefield’s Jocelyn Wagner and Aryana Hinz made digs on attacks from Kerr with the latter finding the net.
East Hardy’s Harper Kline’s serve was saved by Moorefield’s Anniston Kite and Aubrey Kidwell made a diving save with Lexi VanMeter redirecting a hit for a point.
Kerr blocked a shot, then a serve by the Cougars’ Xavia Barber was returned by Moorefield’s Payton Lytle and the response went awry.
VanMeter delivered an ace to give the Yellow Jackets the lead, but then the ensuing serve hit the net.
Garrett and Kite traded kills for a 5-all score.
East Hardy snatched a 7-5 lead on a tap kill by Garrett and an ace served by Danica Wolfe.
Garrett and Charlee Hahn recorded spikes for a 10-7 Cougars lead.
An attack from Moorefield’s Brenna See was met with a dig by Kerr, but ricocheted out.
VanMeter landed a kill to cut the deficit to 11-9.
The Cougars answered as Kerr blocked two shots sandwiching a kill by Garrett prior to a timeout.
The momentum continued as Kline served an ace and Barber notched a spike for a 16-9 Cougars advantage.
Moorefield’s VanMeter and Lytle earned spikes to cut the deficit to 17-13.
Down the stretch, Garrett scored four points on attacks and denied a volley, while Wolfe served up an ace during a 25-14 first set win.
East Hardy commenced the second set with a 6-1 lead which included three kills by Kerr and one from Madilyn Funk.
Barr and Lytle garnered attack points for the Yellow Jackets, plus a dig from Hinz.
VanMeter served an ace as Moorefield closed the gap 7-5.
Wolfe tapped the ball and there was no return, then Lytle hammered the ball and delivered an ace for an 8-7 score.
See blocked a volley, but it was saved on a dig by Barber and pass from Garrett.
Kerr forced a point off a deflection, then Moorefield responded with tap points by VanMeter.
Kerr smashed a kill for a 15-12 lead and reached 1,000 career kills in the process for the Cougars.
East Hardy kept firing for an 8-0 run to grab a 22-12 lead which included attacks from Hannah Riggle and Garrett, while Barber made a huge save on the sidelines on an attack by Kite and Wolfe sent the ball back.
After a Cougars error, Moorefield’s Hinz served up two aces.
Wolfe punched an attack and a corralling save by Hinz wasn’t able to be returned.
East Hardy finished the second set on a serve hit up into the ceiling and tap point by Garrett, 25-15.
It was deja vu in the third set with the Cougars once again snatching a 6-1 lead as Kerr hammered the ball twice, plus a block and Kline served a pair of aces and created a spike.
VanMeter and Kerr traded blocks.
VanMeter and Wagner spiked the ball as the Yellow Jackets cut the deficit to 7-4.
Moorefield’s Bella Linville garnered a push style attack point and Lytle followed with a volley met on a Kline dig ricocheting away.
Kite recorded an ace to make it 8-7.
East Hardy gained separation for a 16-9 lead as Garrett scored four points on kills and Wolfe served an ace.
Kerr added two kills and Kline served an ace for an 18-10 lead.
The Cougars pounced ahead 22-12, but the Yellow Jackets refused to go down quietly with a loud buzzing back.
Moorefield’s Gracyn Williams blocked a shot and made two kills, while Lytle notched service points.
A spike by Barr for the Yellow Jackets would slice the deficit to 24-18.
The Cougars finished the match with a kill by Hannah Riggle, 25-18, 3-nil.
In JV action, the Hardy County teams split the match as the third set tiebreaker couldn’t be played due to a limit on sets played for East Hardy using players in the varsity series.
Moorefield JV won the first set 25-23 and the Cougars took the second set 25-20.
The pink for breast cancer awareness brightened the Hive and the survivors in the stands were given a round of applause.
