The Wayne County Volleyball Tournament was played in Robert E. Clark Gymnasium in Hagerstown on Saturday, Oct. 5, before a large, vocal crowd.
In the first match Northeastern avenged a regular season loss by defeating Hagerstown in a hard-fought match 3-1. In the second match Centerville fought off a strong effort from Lincoln, winning the match 3-1 to set up a championship match between Northeastern and Centerville.
Match 1 — Northeastern 3, Hagerstown 1
Volleyball is a game of momentum. There might not be a better example of that premise than the first set between the Tigers and the Knights. Hagerstown dominated the early going in the first set, quickly building a 14-4 lead and were still leading 19-13 before the Knights caught fire. The Knights roared back to tie the set and went on to win it 25-21 after closing the set on a 15-2 run. The momentum shifted again and the Tigers bounced back to easily win the second set by the score of 25-13 and tie the match. The third set was close, but the Knights led wire to wire, winning 25-19. The fourth set was tied five times before the Knights took the lead for good at 10-9 on the kill by Emma Bledsoe-Ryan and pulled away to win 25-21. Hagerstown head coach Brian Dale said his team lost their focus.
“I am not disappointed that we lost, but how we lost,” Dale said. “Northeastern played well, but we had too many unforced errors. You never want to lose. But honestly, it will be nice to have a few days off to rest and get healthy before the sectional starts.”
Match 2 — Centerville 3, Lincoln 1
Centerville was a heavy favorite in the second match and easily won set one by the score of 25-13. The Eagles dug down and stunned Centerville by winning the second set by the score of 25-18 to tie the match. The Eagles, who started the second set by calling timeout, took their first lead at 13-12, and never trailed again. The Bulldogs regained their focus and went on to win the third set 25-10 and the fourth 25-21 to close out the match. Lincoln head coach Don Crum liked his team’s effort in the loss. “What you saw in the second set today I have been seeing in practice for the last week,” Crum said. “Centerville is very good, but they are not in our sectional and we are improving.”
Championship Match — Centerville 3, Northeastern 2
If the outcome of the championship match had been determined strictly on effort it would have been a tie. Two outstanding teams played their hearts out before Centerville finally won the fifth decisive set to win the match by the score of 3-2 and retain the prized wooden bucket that serves as a traveling trophy for the Wayne County Volleyball Championship. The Bulldogs lost a match to Northeastern nine days prior, but there was a key difference in the two matches. In the previous encounter senior leader Chloe Goodman was forced to sit out with an injury, but Saturday she was in uniform for Centerville and she consistently made the difference.
The match was a back-and-forth affair with virtually every point being hotly contested. The Knights won the first set 25-23. Centerville won the second set 25-22 after 10 ties and four lead changes. The Knights broke from a 22-22 tie to win the third set by the score of 25-23. Centerville dominated the fourth set winning 25-13 to force a fifth decisive set. The fifth set was tied at 10-10 before the Bulldogs pulled away to win 15-12. Goodman scored 4 of their last 5 points.
Both coaches were complimentary of their opponent’s effort. Northeastern head coach Matt Fisher said the Bulldogs deserve credit. “Congratulations to Centerville,” Fisher said. “We played well but they found a way to win. That had to be one of their best matches of the season. We had chances but they came up with enough big plays to win. We need to be tougher mentally.”
Centerville head coach Jimmy Basler said Northeastern played really well. “It is hard to find an opening in their defense and they play so hard and are so aggressive,” Basler said. “But I am so proud of my team. Chloe Goodman has missed a lot of matches this season with injuries and our record reflects that. You saw what she can do today. Our sectional is very balanced, but if we are healthy and at full strength I think we are the best team in the field.”
Complete statistical information for every team was not available at press time.
A version of this article appeared in the October 9 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.