The Chuckey-Doak volleyball team had to battle for every point on Monday evening but finished with a 3-1 win at West Greene, 25-23, 25-14, 24-26, 25-21.
“That was the smartest volleyball game that we have played,” Chuckey-Doak coach Marissa Snapp said. “We had to pick their defense apart. They have a great back row, a great libero, and we had to play smarter. My hitters were responsive in putting the ball where we were telling them. We were swinging hard, and they were swinging hard, but the longer we kept it in play the harder this game gets. We stayed under control and we just kept sending it back.”
The day started with a back-and-forth first set but West Greene was able to separate first after Cassidy Hill came up with a block and kill to make it 7-3.
West Greene stayed in front at 11-6 when Hill put down kill from the right side, and Addy Peters followed it with a tip that came after Kensie Morrison made a tough dig to keep the play alive.
Both back rows were tough to beat on Monday, and Chuckey-Doak’s defense started to bring the Lady Black Knights back into the set. Jacey Taylor scored on a kill, Macy Cox got an ace to land and then the Lady Buffs hit one off the ceiling as the margin narrowed to 11-10.
Chuckey-Doak took the lead at 13-12 when Kendra Key landed a kill from the right side, but it was short lived as there were five ties that followed on the way to a 18-18 deadlock.
A kill by Harlee Richardson put Chuckey-Doak in front 20-18 and from there the Lady Black Knights held on for a 25-23 win. Isabelle Karricker finished out the set with a block and kill from the middle.
“I think Belle was big tonight,” Snapp said. “We matched her up with their middle and told her she had to press. They were getting some kills early, but having her long arms ended up being so big tonight. She at least slowed the ball down to give our back row a chance.”
In the second set Chuckey-Doak jumped out to a 4-1 lead and stayed in front the whole way. Richardson came up with two kills and then some mistakes by West Greene pushed the lead to 10-4.
Errors kept mounting against West Greene and then Taylor landed a kill to put Chuckey-Doak in front 15-8. Addy Pruitt then scored on a dump and Taylor came up with a block that put the Lady Knights in front 18-8.
Taylor had a strong showing in a variety of ways on Monday for Chuckey-Doak. Playing the full rotation she was one of Chuckey-Doak’s most consistent players on the back row, she led the team with four aces and led the team with 11 kills.
“I love Jacey’s consistency,” Snapp said. “She’s young and she is still trying to learn the connection with everybody. Her and Cristen (Bishop) control that back row they work so well together. Having her as an out of system player on the back row is huge, and then having her on the front row is huge.”
The set finished with the back rows keeping plays alive long enough for the other team to make a mistake and they traded points to a 25-14 Chuckey-Doak win.
In the third set West Greene regrouped and refused to go down easily. Chuckey-Doak gained the lead first at 7-5 after Key scored on a kill and an ace.
West Greene was able to even the score at 14-14 on a punishing block by Hill, and the kill by Braelyn Willis put the Lady Buffaloes in front 16-14.
Chuckey-Doak held a 21-19 lead in the closing stretch, but Peters snuck a tip around Karricker’s block to put West Greene on top 22-21. Peters played the tip well two more times to even the score at 23-23 and 24-24.
Two missed kill opportunities by Chuckey-Doak allowed West Greene to take a 26-24 win that extended the contest.
Chuckey-Doak found the first breathing room in the fourth set when Key put down a kill from the right side, Cox scored on a tip and then Richardson put down a kill from the left side for a 7-4 lead.
With Carlene Bishop serving the lead grew to 11-5 when Pruitt came up with a kill.
The margin held over the next several points and the teams traded serves, but West Greene closed the gap to 18-16 on an ace by Hill. Morrison then landed a kill and an error by Chuckey-Doak closed the gap to 19-18.
Karricker scored on a tip, Taylor put down a kill and Pruitt scored on an ace as Chuckey-Doak finished the night with a 25-21 win.
Both teams will be back in action on Tuesday with a pair of big district matchups. West Greene will host North Greene and Chuckey-Doak will host Greeneville.
