KINGWOOD — The Region I, Section 2 high school volleyball tournament came down to the expected top seeds Tuesday night at Preston High.
After splitting during the regular season, this time second-seeded Bridgeport found itself on the winning end against top-seeded University High.
The Indians, perhaps stung by their relatively recent defeat at the hands of UHS, looked like they had an awful lot to play for right from the opening whistle, while the typically slow-starting Hawks never did raise their game, resulting in a quick, dominating sweep for the sectional champs, 25-15, 25-15, 25-20.
In the first round, University repelled an early competitive challenge from Preston to sweep, 25-11, 25-7, 25-6, and afterward, Knights coach Zebulon Lewis had a bright smile on his face and a bright PHS future on his mind.
“We had a 550% improvement in wins this year, from 2 to 11,” he explained, “and more than one coach commented on the improvements we showed this season. Last year we began the process of really learning the game, and this year, we started to learn how to make good things happen with that knowledge.
“I can’t say enough about our seniors,” he continued, “especially considering all they’ve done in basically only four years on the court. Alexus Hart was like the team mom – so much leadership on and off the court. Kella Moon really blossomed as an outside hitter, Peyton Davis was so valuable at literally every position on the court, and Emily Knotts has college-level ability and was easily our best hustler all year. They’ve left a solid foundation in place for us, and we can’t wait to continue to grow and improve.”
While both the Indians — who knocked off Buckhannon-Upshur in its first-round match — and the Hawks advance to the Region I finals on Saturday, the two rivals were vying for a sectional crown.
However, right from the start, Bridgeport’s lengthy, athletic front line hitters were especially potent, and the UHS block had very few answers. Additionally, the Hawks continued to accumulate unforced errors throughout all three sets, and even in the more competitive final set, seven University service errors sealed their fate.
“I just don’t understand how we could start and stay so flat in a sectional final,” UHS head coach Don Godfrey said. “We usually take a little while to play ourselves into matches, but this time, we never got there. No fire, no fight, no energy. That’s not the way we play, and we aren’t going to win matches against good teams like Bridgeport playing like that. We’d better find our game, and soon.”
The Indians and Hawks will play in the Region I tournament at 2 p.m. Saturday at John Marshall High School.
