VOLLEYBALL: Coeburn clinches spot in Region D tourney

BY ANTHONY STEVENS
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
NICKELSVILLE, Va. – There were no surprises in Wednesday’s semifinals of the Cumberland District volleyball tournament at Twin Springs High School.

Rye Cove and Coeburn, the two top seeds, advanced to the championship match tonight and both qualified for next week’s Region D tournament. While Rye Cove is a regular, it will be the first trip to the regional tourney for Coeburn.

“We just came out to play,” said Coeburn senior Hannah Light. “We’ve wanted this so bad. This is all we’ve wanted since I’ve been a part of this team the last four years. We’ve worked hard, we all came together as a team and it’s paid off.”

The Blue Knights swept Thomas Walker 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-15). Coeburn (14-7) jumped on the Pioneers quickly. Thomas Walker (8-13) held a brief lead at 2-1.

After Coeburn tied it at 2-2, Light had eight straight points including an ace as the Blue Knights built an insurmountable lead. Light also finished it off with the final four points as Coeburn won the first set easily.

“I thought we came out real strong,” said Coeburn coach Brianne Casteel said. “Playing a team like Thomas Walker, they are a scrappy bunch. If you give them a chance to get
back in it, they will. I felt we did a great job of getting started and keeping the lead.”

Thomas Walker came out aggressive, but finished the first game with nine attack errors. It set the tone for the rest of the match.

“I just wish a few more of our spikes had gone in that first set,” said Thomas Walker coach Janet Nelson. “That would have given us more confidence. But we didn’t lie down, we tried our best to hang in there but Coeburn has a good team.”

The Pioneers tried to turn it around in the second game, but Coeburn’s Kala Morgan had a kill to snap a 12-12 tie and the Blue Knights never trailed again in game two.

Again in the third set, Thomas Walker had the lead once early, but Coeburn quickly pulled away and the Pioneers could never make a serious run as the Knights took the sweep.

Morgan led a balanced attack up front by Coeburn by slamming down 15 kills. Lindsay Lawson (8 kills) and Natasha Burke (6 kills) were also tough at the net. Lauren McCoy set up
the action with 22 assists. Lawson (13 digs) and Light (12 digs) were also solid defensively in the win.

Senior middle hitter Ashley Hensley had a good match for Thomas Walker with 11 kills and 10 digs. Maranda Miles had 16 assists for the Pioneers.

Rye Cove 3, Twin Springs 0
While Coeburn is the new kid on the block, there will be a familiar face in the championship. Traditional power Rye Cove advanced by sweeping Twin Springs 25-11, 25-13, 25-15.

The Eagles, the CD regular-season champ, were disciplined and went about the match in a business-like fashion. They controlled it from the beginning, never trailing in the first
game. A 7-6 advantage in the second set was the latest Twin Springs had the lead in any of the games.

“We didn’t do anything spectacular tonight,” said Rye Cove coach Greg Gilliam. “But we were consistent in every aspect of the game. We passed the ball really well and sprayed
the ball around.”

Charity Lawson (nine kills, 16 digs), Leah Miller (7 kills), and Paige Tester (four kills and four blocks) provided a balanced attack up front. Jasmine Carter delivered 23 assists and
also had 11 service points.

“Lawson is our spark plug,” Gilliam said. “She’s aggressive all the time. She doesn’t know how to slow it down, she keeps the rest of the team on track. Lawson is a team captain
and a leader on the floor.”

Ashley McConnell led Twin Springs with eight kills and 18 digs. Jennifer Devine contributed four kills and Morgan Weddle totaled 11 assists.