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Hamilton claims middle school volleyball crown

Aaliyah Brunny of Parkersburg Catholic makes a solid dig in the Wood County middle school volleyball championship final match against Hamilton Tuesday night at the Rod Oldham Athletic Center. The Crusaderettes battled valiantly, but fell short against the favored Wildcats in two entertaining matches. Photo by Matthew Hale.

PARKERSBURG — Hamilton’s Wildcats came back through the losers’ bracket to defeat Parkersburg Catholic in two exciting, hard fought matches to claim the Wood County middle school volleyball title Tuesday night at the Rod Oldham Athletic Center Tuesday.

The Wildcats, who had been upset by Williamstown in the first round of the tournament after finishing the regular season undefeated, gained revenge on the Yellowjackets in the semifinal, then topped the Crusaderettes 20-25, 25-14, 25-22 and 25-19, 25-23 for the championship.

Hamilton coach Kayla Lowers, who led her team to victory in her first year at the helm on Cadillac Drive, was justifiably proud of her charges’ achievements on the night, and throughout the season.

“I expected it to be tight,” said Lowers. “Catholic plays hard; Williamstown plays hard. We knew we’d have to play well to win.

“Everyone out there was a most valuable player. We’ve fought through sprained ankles, walking pneumonia, a concussion – everything. They had to shuffle around and play different spots when I needed, and they always stepped up.”

After the Wildcats dispatched Williamstown with relative ease in the first match of the evening, 25-14, 25-17, to earn the title shot, the Crusaderettes proved they had come to play in the first set of the first championship match. After Hamilton jumped out to a 5-1 early lead, the Fairview Avenue side battled back to tie at 6-6, and behind good play from Madison Ross, and aces from Beth Lowther, Sarah Schriner and Jenna Boice, went up 14-11. In a first set filled with exciting points, PC’s Aaliyah Brunny ended the frame with a block, and the Crusaderettes led one set to none.

Hamilton dominated the second set, racing in front 11-1 behind good serving from Sara Brace, and eventually evened matters with a 25-14 win.

The final set of match one was tense and back-and-forth. A spike by Catholic’s Lowther tied the score at 13-13. Ross then spiked to give the Crusaderettes their first lead since the first set, and Lowther followed with an ace to make it 15-13. A spike by Hamilton’s Kristen Lowers ended the run, and the sides traded points until it was 22-22. With an upset win for PC looking a distinct possibility, Hamilton’s excellent Makinzie Hewitt bailed her team out with three consecutive aces to bring about the second championship match.

The Wildcats again started the set hot, taking a 15-6 early lead, before three consecutive excellent serves from the impressive Madison Ross brought it down to 15-10. The Crusaderettes pulled within 22-19 after some more well-contested points before Hamilton’s Haylie Polan served out three consecutive points for the first set.

It was Catholic jumping out to a 6-1 lead in the second set before Hamilton, this time, rallied. Emily Allen, who was strong in all phases of the game all evening, made an impressive kill to rally the Wildcats at 5-8. PC then regained momentum to jump up 14-9. Lowers accomplished some more good serving to bring the score back to 15-all, and it was thrilling, back-and-forth stuff from then on. Catholic’s Madison Ross spiked to give her team the lead at 23-22, but after a magnificent rally, Hamilton’s Emma Schumacher dinked nicely to tie the score once more.

Allen then stepped in to end the match from the service line. She made a magnificent dig on a Brunny spike to save the point before Schumacher dinked again to bring about match point.

The champion Wildcats end the season with a 17-1 record, while the valiant Crusaderettes, who had not played for the county championship since the early 1990’s, conclude a fine campaign at 10-7.

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