Varsity Volleyball Week of October 3
Cougars Take down the ASD Panthers
The Lady Cougars travelled to Atlanta Area School last week as their season winds down. The Cougars were looking good on the court, they started off with great serves from Alaina Larson. The team is calm and communicating. Finely Love is up to serve and moved the score up nicely. She put in 9 serves that were deep in the Panther court and the team struggled to return. ASD called a time out to try to regain the ball but Finley was in a groove. Cougars are now up 16 – 5 when they lost the rally. Getting the serve back, putting Alyssa Briggs to serve with her tough-to-return overhand, which added 4 more to the score, 21-8. Cougars finished off the set, 25-11.
New Cougar lineup for set #2. The Cougars took the court with confidence. Immediately earning the serve and putting Anna Morris to the line. She used her nice serving skills to put the Cougars in an early lead. Hollyn Kershner had a couple of great passes on the front row keeping the serve in Anna’s hands. She was serving to the deep court and had 10 serves, before the ball returns to the Panther server at 12-2. Celeste Jeoffroy had a nice kill on the net for the point, putting her up to serve two shots, score was now 17-7. Anna on the net with a good hit. Little bit of back and forth play putting Anna back to serve with an ace. Cougars finish it up, 25-14.
Third set began with Finley with 4 tough serves including an ace. Lexy Harrison is up to serve with determination to put it in. And she does with 3 in a row, backed up by a great push on the net from Alaina, score was 8-2. Bella Aparicio served a confident 5 serves, with three of those being aces. Hollyn kicked in several more good passes over the net for the Cougars. Lillian Travis substituted in to put in 2 serves for the Cougars, the score was now 20-11. Alaina back up to serve with another 2 tough and low-to-the-net serves. Alyssa set up Alaina in the back court for a couple great hits. Cougars finish the match and set, 25-16.
Cougars Fall to the Heritage Rams
Then the TCS Cougars travelled downtown to the Heritage Prep Ram court for their next match. Set one was a slow start for the Lady Cougars. They were slow to connect with the ball and communication was lacking. They got behind in set one having trouble with their serve receive. Two Ram servers into the set and Cougars are down, 16-2. Celeste was up to serve and picked things up a bit with some tough serves including an ace. Followed by Finley at the service line with 3 and an ace. Smart shots to the back row put a bit of a challenge on the Rams but our trusty Cougars couldn’t keep the serve. They had some noteworthy volleys but not enough to get back into that set, they lose 11-25.
Set two had the Rams serving first. Again, Cougars got bogged down by #24 who put the pressure on the back court with her serve, they are down 1-12. Alyssa got a great block on the net, followed by a dink to earn back the serve, and she moved to the service line. She put in two great floaters. Cougar servers put in some nice shots but that wasn’t enough. Cougars gave them set two, 10-25.
Cougars start set 3 with the 2 nice serves from Celeste, backed up on the net with Alyssa placing a smart ball into deep Ram court for the point. This set the score is staying closer as the service moves back and forth along with some good volleys. Alaina has three hard serves in a row surprising the Rams and pulling Cougars closer, 10-12. Cougars are coming alive as they work together on the court to stay in this set, tying it up at 15-15. Alaina returns to serve her signature tough and low shots, causing the Rams to call time out at 22-19. She fired away two more great serves after the TO but lose of rally, it was now 23-21. Cougars got ball back and Anna served. Celeste with a hard cross court hit to score the winning point, 25-23.
Winning set 3 had Cougars fired up and ready to play! Communicating better. However, Ram #23 serves throw off our Lady Cougars and they stopped communicating. Alaina came up to serve at 6-13 and got in 4 serves, but they lose the point 9-14 and can’t get back into the set. Alyssa had a couple of beautiful digs to keep their rallies going but the set and match went to Heritage, 13-25.
The Lady Cougars meet up with their AAC rival Mill Springs Academy on Thursday, October 13. Please come out and cheer them in their last match of season before playoffs. Go Cougars!