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Wirt County takes Little Kanawha Conference crown

Tigers sweep Ritchie County

The Wirt County volleyball team captured the Little Kanawha Conference championship after downing Ritchie County in three sets Saturday night at Doddridge County High School. Photo by Jay W. Bennett.

WEST UNION — Senior-laden Wirt County had too much firepower here Saturday as the Tigers upended Ritchie County in straight sets — 25-12, 25-17 and 25-19 — to capture the Little Kanawha Conference volleyball championship at Doddridge County High School.

The Tigers of head coach Janet Frazier got solid production from all six of the orange and black seniors.

Wirt County had championship-match highs of 18 points and four aces from Mahala Greenleaf, 13 blocks by Loden Campbell, 17 kills by Haley Moore as well as 32 assists by Katie Frazier. Libero Emily Cottrell, who was dealing with a hamstring injury, had 13 digs while fellow Tiger senior Taylor Anderson finished with 11 digs.

“We didn’t have the mentality we needed to have when you play at their caliber tonight,” said Rebel boss Matt Carpenter of his team falling to the Tigers for the second time in three tries this season.

“We passed the ball OK, but they took the net from us. They ruled the net and that’s something we need to get better at.”

Doddridge County’s Corrinna Fullmer, pictured here spiking the ball during the semifinals of Saturday’s Little Kanawha Conference Night of Champions versus Wirt County, registered 15 kills to help the Bulldogs rally past Roane County by scores of 25-21, 19-25, 23-25, 25-20 and 20-18 in the consolation match. Photo by Jay W. Bennett.

Sophomore Kylie Stephens also registered 11 kills for the Tigers, who got four downed spikes and six blocks from freshman Emma Wyer.

Cottrell served for the first two points of the opening championship set as the Tigers never trailed.

Abi Haught, who had six digs, four kills and an ace, had a service tally to give Ritchie County a quick 1-0 cushion in set two, but Maggie Bailey later served for six straight points, including an ace, as the Tigers bolted ahead 10-3.

The Rebels rallied back behind the serving of libero Cassie Tallman, who had a match-high 14 digs. Following an Andrea Kirk kill as well as a smash by Haught from one of Brianna Jones’ 14 assists, the Rebels closed to within two at 10-8.

RCHS later cut the deficit to 11-10 on an Ashley Davis point and still trailed by just one at 15-14 following a Jones ace.

Ritchie County finally tied the second set at 16-all thanks to a Lauren Strickland ace, but a Moore kill ignited a 9-1 set-ending run. Adeline Sims served for the final five points with the last two coming thanks to a Wyer block and a kill by Stephens.

The Rebels, who received a quartet of kills apiece as well as a combined seven blocks from Strickland and Kenda Osborne, had their only lead of the final set at 1-0.

Host Doddridge County finally captured the consolation match against Roane County by scores of 25-21, 19-25, 23-25, 25-20 and 20-18 when Brooklyn Hinzman served up the final point.

Raider Hannah McKown had 10 service tallies and a match-high 17 kills. Corrinna Fullmer led the ‘Dogs with 15 kills and a match-high six blocks.

Courtney Sanford’s 39 assists were a match-high for DCHS, which also received 11 kills from Hinzman, eight by Jasmine Ball and five from Abi Nicholson. Abigail Lynch and Raine Fritz had two aces apiece for the Bulldogs, who fell in the semifinals to Wirt County by scores of 25-20, 25-13 and 25-7. Moore’s 17 kills paced the Tiger hitting attack.

Roane County, which was upended by the Rebels in the other semifinal 25-9, 25-13, 16-25, 26-28 and 15-7, also had solid efforts in the consolation match from Chasity Drennen (12 points, 2 aces, 2 kills, 33 assists), Kayla Strickland (8 points, 2 aces, 2 blocks, 8 kills), Macie Higginbotham (11 points, 3 aces, 2 kills) and Sierra Strickland (8 points, 1 ace, 6 kills, 5 blocks).

Osborne had 14 kills while Haught rolled up 25 points, nine aces, 10 digs and 13 downed spikes for the Rebels in their semifinal triumph against Roane County.

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