Vinemont's Rachel Hall goes up to defend the net during the Lady Eagles' upset win over Cold Springs in the County Tournament Monday night. (Nick Griffin for The Cullman Tribune)
VINEMONT – Day one of the 2018 Cullman County Volleyball Tournament is in the books and after an evening full of action we’re down to three teams still fighting for a title. The second-seeded Fairview Lady Aggies defeated Hanceville and Cold Springs to advance to day two and they’ll face top-seeded West Point after the Lady Warriors’ win over Good Hope. The fourth-seeded Lady Raiders will also be on the floor for day two after they bounced back from the match with West Point by edging out Holly Pond in the loser’s bracket and defeated Vinemont in the first match of the day. The biggest surprise from Monday was the fifth-seeded Lady Eagles of Vinemont advancing past day one by upsetting Cold Springs in the loser’s bracket. Tuesday is set up for a lot of great matchups, starting with a Good Hope and Vinemont rematch at 3 p.mm. followed by a heavy-weight bout between Fairview and West Point at 4.
Match 1: Good Hope 2 – Vinemont 0: 25-17, 25-19
The Lady Eagles and Lady Raiders got things started Monday afternoon and it was Good Hope that got the tournament started with a win. The first set started tight, but the Lady Raiders were able to take control and pull away. Chrissi Smith had a big hand in the win, racking up 11 assists and two aces in the match, while her teammates on the front line, Savanna Burney and Abigail Orton, recorded five and six kills, respectively. Good Hope and Vinemont will meet again in a rematch Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Match 2: Cold Springs 2 – Holly Pond 0: 26-24, 25-17
Cold Springs mounted a dramatic comeback to take the first set over the Lady Broncos. Holly Pond led the match 21-16 at one point but the Lady Eagles went on a run late and managed to survive. Cold Springs started the second set strong, but the Lady Broncos put together a run of their own to put a scare in the Lady Eagles. Cold Springs hung on to Holly Pond away in straight sets. Kylon Hamby and Emma Chambers combined for 16 kills in the match while Emi Harbison collected 22 assists to go along with three kills.
Match 3: Fairview 2 – Hanceville 0: 25-3, 25-1
The third match of the day was easily the shortest and most one-sided. The Lady Aggies held Hanceville to just four total points in the match. Micah Means posted 13 assists and four aces for Fairview in the win while Daisy Manasco and Tess Bailey recorded six and eight kills, respectively. Fairview will face West Point at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
Match 4: West Point 2 – Good Hope 0: 25-13, 25-12
The top-seeded Lady Warriors only had to play one match on Monday and they faced off against the Lady Raiders of Good Hope after their win over Vinemont. West Point was in control for most of the match and put Good Hope away in straight sets to advance to day two. Selena Clark recorded 20 assists and three aces in the win while Josie Huckaby and Lexi Shaddix posted five and eight kills, respectively. West Point will take on Fairview at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
Match 5: Fairview 2 – Cold Springs 0: 25-16, 25-15
The Lady Aggies picked up their second win of the tournament with a convincing win over Cold Springs in straight sets. Means had another big match, leading the team with 15 assists while Manasco and Bailey combined for 20 kills up around the net. The Lady Aggies will be back on Tuesday to face top-seeded West Point at 4 p.m.
Match 6: Holly Pond 2 – Hanceville 0: 25-3, 25-10
The Lady Broncos put together a dominant performance in their second matchup of the evening, defeating the Lady Bulldogs in convincing fashion. Lili Harris, Eva Duke, Kara Hollis and Sydney Dunkin were a handful around the net for Hanceville, and solid play in the back end allowed the Lady Broncos to pull away from the Lady Bulldogs in straight sets.
Match 7: Good Hope 2 – Holly Pond 0: 26-24, 26-24
It may have been a loser’s bracket matchup toward the end of day one, but the showdown between Good Hope and Holly Pond was the most exciting of the day. In an elimination game with a day two appearance on the line, the Lady Raiders were able to come out on top in two dramatic sets that couldn’t be decided in 25 points. Good Hope went up 7-0 early in the first set, but the Lady Broncos went responded quickly and made it a very competitive match. Things didn’t get any easier for the Lady Raiders in the second set, but they were still able to survive the thriller and advance to Tuesday. Alee Jackson and Orton each posted seven kills for Good Hope in the win and Smith had another big match that included 12 assists. Good Hope will face Vinemont in a rematch Tuesday at 3.
Match 8: Vinemont 2 – Cold Springs 0: 25-22, 25-16
There was definitely some drama in the final two matches of the night. Vinemont punched their ticket to day two with a big win over the third-seeded Lady Eagles of Cold Springs. Vinemont edged out Cold Springs in a nail-biter to go ahead in the first set but handled the second set with a little less suspense to eliminate Cold Springs. Rachel Hall led Vinemont with seven kills and three blocks in the match while Sadie Stanley scored four aces and added five digs to help the Lady Eagles advance. Vinemont will face Good Hope in a rematch at 3 to get things started on Tuesday.
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