BY LLOYD COMBS
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
PILGRIM’S KNOB, Va. – The Tigers, either Honaker or Haysi, have been in every Black Diamond District volleyball final since the BDD sponsored a tournament.
Honaker kept that streak intact with a 3-1 win over host Twin Valley in BDD semifinal play Thursday.
The Tigers will face Council in Saturday’s finals. The regular season champs eliminated the Haysi Tigers, 3-1, in Thursday’s semifinal nightcap.
Honaker (7-14) won the first set Thursday, 25-15. Twin Valley got six points and three kills from Katie Jo Lester to take game two, 25-22, and forge a 1-1 tie.
The Tigers rallied to win the final two games, 25-19 and 25-18, and earn a return trip to regional play in what looked like a rare lost season for the perennially strong program. Rachel Artrip got things going
for Honaker in the third set with five kills.
“In the regular season we didn’t always play as a team,” Artrip said. “But we got to where we know what to do now, and we’re playing well together.”
Artip finished with 17 kills. She got plenty of help, especially around the net. Emily Musick added 14 kills, and virtually everyone who played the front line for the Tigers had at least a couple.
“Emily is improving all the time, and Lindsey Dye has been pretty consistent all year,” Artrip said. “Their play on the front line makes it a lot easier for me.”
Honaker got contributions across the board, from a 9-0 start to the match, to late rallies in the final two sets. Nicole Roman had 22 assists and LeAnne Meade finished with 22 service points. Dye added
10 points and Samantha Taylor had eight.
“We’ve been working toward this all season,” Honaker coach Greg Mullins said. “We had tremendous play at the net, and our passing set all that up.”
Lester finished with 12 points and 10 kills. Rachel Horn added 11 points and five kills for Twin Valley (12-8).
“We just got outplayed,” said Panthers coach Melisa Goodman, whose club split two matches with Honaker during the regular season. “We didn’t have an answer for them at the net tonight.” Haysi (7-13) nearly pushed Council (18-2) to the limit in a long, four-set match. The Tigers were without their steadiest player, senior Kristen Kiser, who suffered an ankle injury during warm-ups.
Council won the first set, 25-17. Haysi rallied to take game two, 27-25.
Laken Hurley had 13 kills and Kesley Geary added nine for Council, which won the last two sets by identical 25-19 counts. Hurley contributed five kills and two blocks, while Geary added three of her kills in game three. Heather Owens served through a key 8-0 run in game four.
Brittany Roark led Haysi with 11 assists and eight service points. Holly Bowman had 12 points. Bowman (8 kills), Stephanie Lapp (6) and Traci Edwards (5) combined for 19 kills.
The JV finals are scheduled for 6:00 p.m., with the varsity finals to follow on Saturday. Council will play at home and Honaker will travel in Region D quarterfinal play on Monday. Council hosts the semifinals on Tuesday and the Region D finals on Thursday.
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