-
Tori Raine serves the ball at the Sept. 1 home game against the Dodd City Lady Hornets
Dodd City pulls off comeback in 4th set
SULPHUR BLUFF—The Sulphur Bluff Lady Bears hosted the Dodd City Lady Hornets Tuesday, Sept. 1 for a non-district matchup. Sulphur Bluff has one game left before beginning district play next week.
The Lady Bears started the night by scoring first on a kill from Skylar Stanley. Dodd City immediately answered back, and the two teams traded points back and forth until Sulphur Bluff took a 6-5 lead.
Trailing 6-5, Dodd City scored nine unanswered points to give themselves a commanding 14-6 lead. The Lady Hornets finished strong and took the set with a final score of 25-14.
Dodd City’s momentum carried over into the second set, and Sulphur Bluff coach Lacie Jessup was forced to call a timeout with her team trailing early, 8-4. Sulphur Bluff scored the first two points out of the timeout, with the second point coming on an ace from Tori Raine.
Trailing 7-11, Stanley scored back-to-back points on blocks to bring Sulphur Bluff within two points. The Lady Bears kept the streak going and scored two more consecutive points to tie the set up at 11-11.
The two teams traded points for the remainder of the set and things were tied late, 16-16. Dodd City took a late 19-17 lead and scored the final six points to win the set, 25-17.
Trying to avoid being swept at home, the Lady Bears took their first lead in the third set with the score 6-5. Sulphur Bluff went on a 5-3 run, and Dodd City used their first timeout of the night with the Lady Bears leading, 11-8.
Out of the timeout Sulphur Bluff went on a 7-1 run, scoring three consecutive points on aces from Alley Collett. Dodd City made a late push to make things close, but the Lady Bears were able to hold them off, taking the set, 25-21.
Sulphur Bluff’s momentum carried over into the fourth set, and Dodd City was forced to use a timeout early with the Lady Bears leading, 7-2. Dodd City answered back with a run of their own and Sulphur Bluff’s Jessup used a timeout with their lead cut to 13-11.
The Lady Bears took their largest lead of the set when Collet set up Raine for a kill to go up 18-14. The two teams were evenly matched for the next few possessions, and Sulphur Bluff led 22-18 late.
Dodd City scored five of the final six points and were able to take the set, 25-23, giving them the 3-1 win for the game.
Sulphur Bluff will begin district play with a pair of home games next week. On Tuesday, they will host Rivercrest, and on Friday, they will face Clarksville. In each of those games the junior varsity will begin at 4:30 p.m. with the varsity to follow.