West Ridge’s Rachel Miller (12) goes for a shot against Dobyns-Bennett during Monday’s District 1-AAA match at the Buck Van Huss Dome in Kingsport. The Lady Wolves outlasted the Lady Indians in five sets.
West Ridge’s Rachel Miller (12) goes for a shot against Dobyns-Bennett during Monday’s District 1-AAA match at the Buck Van Huss Dome in Kingsport. The Lady Wolves outlasted the Lady Indians in five sets.
Todd Brase Photography
West Ridge’s Rachel Miller (12) goes for a shot against Dobyns-Bennett during Monday’s District 1-AAA match at the Buck Van Huss Dome in Kingsport. The Lady Wolves outlasted the Lady Indians in five sets.
Todd Brase Photography
Dobyns-Bennett’s Rachel Falin (3) works for a shot against West Ridge during Monday’s District 1-AAA match in Kingsport.
KINGSPORT — In its struggle for identity among the land of giants, West Ridge scored one for the underdog Monday night.
The Lady Wolves, holding an ever-so-slight upper hand much of the evening, stood tall and gutted out a 27-25, 25-27, 25-17, 18-25, 15-12 win over Dobyns-Bennett in District 1-AAA volleyball play at the Buck Van Huss Dome.
The match between the established Lady Indians and West Ridge’s first-year program was as terrific and contested as the final tally indicates.
“That match was back and forth, back and forth ... a lot of emotions on both sides,” winning coach Logan Kemp said. “A lot at stake, first round of the tournament, 2-3 seed matchup ...
“Just the way our girls fought tonight, I’m really proud of that.”
West Ridge standout Rachel Miller was composed afterward.
“A lot of fight and a lot of grit,” said the 5-foot-8 Miller, one of 10 seniors for the Wolves. “We just had to come together and realize it.”
CRUNCH TIME
The third-seeded Wolves found themselves down 5-2 in the deciding set when Kemp asked for a timeout. His club responded.
“Well, he just said we got to, I mean, don’t play perfect, but minimize mistakes and really just find the holes and spots on the court, and come together and talk,” Miller said. “And I think that’s what we did.”
Two misplayed balls by D-B and smackdowns from Casey Wampler and Gracie Olinger got the Lady Wolves back to even at 7-all. Still, they remained deadlocked at 11 before West Ridge finally gained the lead for keeps.
Up 14-12 after one more Tribe mis-hit and a pair of winners at the net from Miller, the Lady Wolves put it to bed when senior playmaker Olivia DeLung set up Wampler for a kill the sophomore will forever remember.
“I think it just boiled down to we were more determined,” said Kemp, whose team faces top-seeded Science Hill in Tuesday night’s winners’ bracket final in Johnson City. “And once it got to that fifth set, nothing was going to stop those girls.”
TRIBE WILL PLAY ON
Dobyns-Bennett will be at home again Tuesday to take on fourth-seeded Daniel Boone in an elimination match.
Lady Indians coach Tricia Dygert knows her club was mighty close to avoiding the lose-and-it’s-over scenario in this double-elimination tournament, but they simply could not get it done.
“Tonight was definitely a battle at the net, and we were both here to win,” the second-year mentor said. “I’m impressed with the fight, but it came down to a three-point deficit. I mean, I’m proud of them for fighting back in that fourth set. That’s what we need to do; we need to find that grit. Now we just finish all the way to the end.”
STATISTIC LEADERS
Wampler produced 13 kills and Miller 10 to lead West Ridge at the net. DeLung handed out 16 assists to go with 11 digs and nine kills to shine in all departments. Marleigh Pendleton had 21 assists and Wolves teammate Allie Jordan mined 33 digs, leading a strong defensive effort.
Riley Brandon was outstanding throughout for the Tribe, recording 22 kills, 25 assists and 15 digs. Whitley Maupin had 18 kills and 30 digs, Dakota Vaiese recorded 27 assists and Rachel Falin had 25 digs.
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