Becoming more dominant as the match progressed, the Harlan County Lady Bears coasted to a 25-15, 25-11, 25-5 win Thursday at Harlan to improve to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in 52nd District action heading into a showdown next week at home against Bell County.
Led by a senior class that has posted two district titles in the past three years with back-to-back regional final four appearances, the Lady Bears followed a familiar path to success with Savannah Hill setting up the offense and Kylee Hoiska and Kalista Dunn finishing around the net. Madi Nolan and Abigail Blackburn, both juniors, also played big roles in the win.
Nolan, Hoiska and Blackburn each had kills In a 9-1 run capped by two Hill aces for a 10-3 lead in the first set. Nolan finished off three points while Karli Shoupe and Dunn each had aces as the lead grew to 20-9. A point by Harlan’s Peyshaunce Wynn interrupted an HC run before the Lady Bears finished off the first set.
A couple of Daria Lee aces gave Harlan a 2-0 lead in the second set before Nolan put the Lady Bears back in control with two service points. Hoiska, Hill, Dunn and Blackburn had points and Nolan added an impressive block and then the final seven points while serving to close the set.
Hoiska blew the third set open with four aces in a 6-0 run that pushed the lead to 14-3. Nolan, Ashlynn Williamson and Dunn finished off points before Shoupe close the match with an ace as part of a 7-0 finish.
”It’s a great feeling to be 2-0 in district. We didn’t have the energy we needed at the start, but we turned it around and got stronger as the game went on,” Harlan County assistant coach Greg York said. “We also got some key minutes from Abbi Blackburn and Madi Nolan. Nolan had a breakout performance and was a huge spark for us. We’ll take the win and keep our focus on improving every day.”
Hoiska had 12 kills, five digs and four aces while Dunn added six kills, three assists, nine digs and three aces to lead HC. Hill contributed 26 assists, along with two digs and four aces. Nolan added 10 kills, five digs, one assist and four aces. Shoupe contributed five digs and four aces. Blackburn had four kills and a dig.
Wynn led the Lady Dragons with eight kills, 15 digs, two blocks, one ace and one assist. Bryleigh Ward had 18 digs and one assist. Kenzie Shepherd added 12 digs. Jordyn Shackleford contributed four kills and three digs. Lee had two aces, eight digs and one kill. Gracie Hensley added 17 assists. Shaedyn Crow had four digs and two aces. Cheyenne Childers had four kills. Kinsley Sturgill added four digs. Kaylee Sturgill added four digs. Clarissa Yost had two blocks.
“My girls battled against a veteran HC team. I am very proud of them and the way the played tonight,” said Harlan coach Sierra Crow.
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Harlan County won in three sets in freshman action by a final of 21-14, 14-21, 15-13. Harlan won 21-8 24-22 in junior varsity action.
Shaedyn Crow led the Lady Dragons in junior varsity play with 14 digs and three aces. Cheyenne Childers added four aces, two kills and six digs. Clarissa Yost had two aces, two kills and two digs. Jordyn Shackleford added seven digs, one ace and one kill. Kaylee Sturgill had three aces and three digs. Kinsley Sturgill contributed five digs. Daria Lee had 11 assists and three digs. Gwen Toll added six kills and two aces.
The 2-8 Lady Dragons play host to Red Bird on Tuesday. The 3-1 Lady Bears play Corbin on Saturday at Bell County in the 2A Section 7 Tournament.
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Harlan dropped four of four matches in the McCreary Invitational on Saturday. The Lady Dragons fell 25-12-25-14 to Clay County, 25-8, 25-14 to South Laurel, 25-7, 25-13 to McCreary Central, and 25-7, 25-13 to Casey County.
The Lady Dragons fell 25-23, 25-7, 25-18 on Monday at home against Knox Central before a five-set win Tuesday at Lynn Camp by a score of 19-25, 21-25, 25-18, 25-23, 15-6.
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Harlan County rolled past Barbourville 25-9, 25-7, 25-7 on Monday.
Dunn led the Lady Bears with 13 kills, 10 digs, nine service aces and one assist. Hoiska had 13 kills, three aces, four digs and two blocks. Hill contributed 32 assists with two digs and one ace. Nolan had eight kills, three assists, two digs and one ace. Shoupe added eight digs, one ace and one kill. Blackburn contributed two kills and one dig. Williamson added two aces. Aly Sherman had two digs.