The Varsity game may not have started until 8:20, but it was worth the wait.
Heritage Christian hosted Christian County on the volleyball court Thursday night and it looked like a five set, five round, prize fight.
Ultimately the Lady Warriors prevailed, but it was not for lack of effort on the part of the Lady Colonels.
You knew this game was going to be special when you showed up and this was the HCA student section, dressed for a funeral.
They were ramped up even before the starting lineup announcements, but certainly as the girls came sliding onto the floor, they got rabid.
That energy seemed to feed HCA as they jumped out in set number one to an 11-6 lead before Christian County foreshadowed what was to come making it 11-10. After that, set one became the Lady Warriors set as they went on runs to make it 16-10 and 20-12 with a County timeout called in between. Ultimately they took the first set with relative ease 25-13, it would be the last easy thing for them all evening.
If I had told you after set one, were you in that building, that it would go five, you would’ve scoffed and laughed. The Lady Warriors had everything on their side. A one set lead, a rabid environment, and a team on the other side of the net who had played inconsistently this season and failed to rise to the occasion a few times.
However, many parents and the coaching staff, as well as several players, for the Lady Colonels had remarked to me how great and capable this their team looked defeating Crittenden County not a week or so ago. As the game was on the road I was unable to attend, but I had no doubt as the potential was clear and obvious from day one.
Last night, it was put on display.
Set two began in the Lady Colonels favor, 8-4. HCA bounced back to take a 9-8 lead before these two teams started trading haymakers. Ended up tied at 15-15 and 20-20 before County stepped up in a big way and took the set 25-22.
Now all tied up at a set a piece, you could feel the energy shift ever so slightly.
Set three started out with the same energy set two had. Tied 8-8 the Lady Colonels would make it 11-8, and here they went. At 11-8 HCA called a timeout and got it to 12-12 before Rylee Owens started flying around the floor and her sister Peyton helped set Hailey Sparks up for some balls that I almost swear had sparks coming off of them.
Thanks to that County went on another run to get it to 17-12, then 20-16, and next 22-18 before HCA finally had to call their second timeout. The Lady Warriors coming out of the timeout creeped within one point, 22-21, before the Owens sisters alongside Sparks finished it off 25-21.
Now with a two sets to one lead, the minimal but rowdy students that showed up for Christian County came alive!
Camryn Armstrong and Skylar Kirby were both sporting big smiles and looking as if they were gonna bounce out of the gym after two very good sets of their own and the teams energy was contagious.
Meanwhile, the Lady Warriors sat regrouping on their bench, and man did it seem to effect their attitude on the court for set four.
The set began 9-9 before HCA almost seemed to get fed up with their effort and pushed it to 13-9. Maybe more specifically, Elle Heltsley, the senior, seemed to get fired up on the bench as she rotated in and out and when she came back in again, she started blasting balls home. The Lady Warriors and Heltsley built their lead to 18-11 before County finally called a timeout and you could feel the life and energy seemingly breathed back into their atmosphere.
They would not let up as HCA out of the County timeout pushed the lead to 23-15 forcing another Lady Colonel timeout. County responded the way you would expect after two very strong sets, they got it to 24-20 before a play into the set, which happens, gave the Lady Warriors the point they needed to force a fifth set.
Now comes one of, in my mind, the most underrated things in sports. A fifth set in volleyball.
A coin flip for who will serve and every point matters because now its a battle to only fifteen points instead of twenty-five.
The Lady Colonels won the toss and chose to serve first, a smart decision as it helped them jump out to a 5-2 lead.
The Lady Warriors, being that they had less than a week prior taken home a KCAC state title, would not just roll over however. They came back to tie the set at 7-7, then pushed their lead to 10-7, before County and Head Coach Rick Erickson would take a timeout trailing 11-8.
After a hard fought three and a half sets, Christian County would not just give this game away either. They came out of the timeout strong and pulled within one point, 11-10 to force an HCA timeout.
Credit to Lady Warrior Head Coach Kimberly Waldron, her team responded out of the timeout, as they had many times throughout the night, and took control making it 13-11, finding themselves within two points of victory and forcing a final County timeout.
Out of the timeout the Lady Colonels fought valiantly, but came up short losing 15-11. The scene after the final point looked like this…
Both Head Coaches, Erickson and Waldron, deserve immense credit as they definitely seemed to have their two squads ready to play and weathered the late start and all the various other factors like atmosphere and the runs both teams went on splendidly. Their teams are a reflection of them as well, responding in kind time and again. Both coaches took a minute after the game to speak with me, here is what they had to say.
Kimberly Maldron
Rick Erickson
Both programs now prepare for one of the better sporting events we have all year, the Wreck at the Plex. It begins at nine am and the doors open about an hour before hand. If you are looking for something to do, I highly suggest going and checking this out, clearly it will be a competitive and energized atmosphere.