Lady Dragons Mount Epic Comeback, Defeat Lake Cormorant in Five-Set Thriller
Photo: Lake Cormorant’s Sofia Gonzalez powers a kill shot past two Collierville blockers during Tuesday night’s five-set contest at Collierville. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
COLLIERVILLE, TN — In a thrilling five-set showdown, the Collierville Lady Dragons staged an improbable comeback Tuesday night, rallying from a two-set deficit to defeat the Lake Cormorant Lady Gators in high school volleyball. The final set scores were 24-26, 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, and 16-14, with Collierville winning the nail-biting finale to clinch the match.
The intense battle pitted two of the Mid-South’s top volleyball programs against each other, with each team refusing to give an inch.
Early Set Dominance for Lady Gators
The Lake Cormorant Lady Gators came out firing on all cylinders, seizing control of the match early. The first set was a back-and-forth affair, with Ma’Kayla Hill delivering three straight kills to seal a 26-24 victory for Lake Cormorant. The Lady Gators carried that momentum into the second set, utilizing a decisive 8-3 run after a timeout to secure a 25-22 win. A key block by Sofia Gonzalez and Kerrigan Faggard, followed by a kill from Gonzalez, solidified Lake Cormorant’s two-set lead.
Collierville’s Resilient Rally
With their backs against the wall, the Lady Dragons roared back in the third set. They built an 11-4 lead and held off a late Lake Cormorant charge, which was fueled by aces from Payton Davis and Emily Huerta. An ace from Collierville’s Ella Grommersch helped close out the set 25-21, igniting the home crowd.
Collierville’s momentum continued into the fourth set. Though Lake Cormorant grabbed an early 5-1 lead, the Lady Dragons methodically fought their way back, tying the set at 15-15. After tying it again at 19-19, Collierville went on a crucial four-point run, winning the set 25-22 to force a decisive fifth set.
Fifth Set Showdown
The final set was a display of sheer determination from both teams. Lake Cormorant took an early lead, with a drop shot from Kelsi Agner and an ace from Sofia Gonzalez putting them up 7-4. But the Lady Dragons refused to quit, tying the set at 9-9 and later taking a 12-11 lead on an ace from Bailey Thornton.
The tension peaked when Ma’Kayla Hill scored on a block to give Lake Cormorant a 14-13 lead, putting them on the verge of victory. However, Collierville mounted one final push, scoring three consecutive points to win the set 16-14 and complete the remarkable comeback.
Post-Game Insights from Coach Morgan
Following the loss, Lake Cormorant coach Christina Morgan reflected on her team’s performance. “I mean, I feel like, you know, we battled against a good team,” Morgan said. “I think that they outplayed us defensively, you know. So that’s kind of what I told my team as a takeaway from this match, that we need to improve on some of that stuff.”
Morgan also praised her team’s demanding schedule, which she believes will prepare them for the playoffs. “I think it only helps us to play good teams,” she stated. “We want to play teams like that, those challenges that make us have to work and fight for every single point.”
Morgan also singled out the performance of Ma’Kayla Hill, who led the team with 25 kills. “She’s really stepped up,” Morgan said. “She has so much power, and she’s kind of really learned how to harness it and put in place it. She’s become a really big point scorer for us.”
Other notable stats for Lake Cormorant included Sofia Gonzalez with 23 kills and 29 digs, Emily Huerta with four aces and 28 digs, and setters Payton Davis and Kayla Gonzalez with 28 and 23 assists, respectively.
SCOREBOARD
Prep volleyball
Collierville, Tenn. 3, Lake Cormorant 2 (24-26, 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 16-14)
Center Hill 3, South Panola 0 (25-7, 25-7, 25-11)
Lewisburg 3, Hernando 0 (25-19, 27-25, 25-13)
- Lewisburg: Addison Cole 16 kills, 12 assists, 8 digs; Mary Olivia Barnes; 8 kills, 5 blocks, 3 digs; Laney Wier 22 digs, 2 aces, 2 assists; Kamari Parker 17 Assists
DeSoto Central 3, Southaven 0 (25-14, 25-13, 25-16)
- DeSoto Central: Genesis Weeks had 12 kills. Brenna Sorenson had 5 aces and 4 kills. Natalie Loftin had 13 assists and 3 aces.
Tupelo 3, Horn Lake 0
Prep golf at Cherokee Valley
Boys’ golf
- Lewisburg – 325
- Center Hill – 347
- Olive Branch – 354
- Senatobia – 368
Medalist: Hudson Marascullo (Center Hill) 73
Girls’ golf
- Center Hill – 198
- Lewisburg – 209
- Olive Branch -228
Medalist: Kylie Smith (Center Hill) – 92
JUCO men’s soccer
Northwest 3, Belhaven 2
SPORTS ETC.: Hustle Acquire Jordan Minor, Draft Pick in Trade with Nets
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Hustle announced Tuesday they have acquired the returning player rights to forward Jordan Minor and a 2026 first-round draft pick from the Long Island Nets. In exchange, the Hustle sent the returning player rights to guard Malachi Smith to Long Island.
Minor, a 6-foot-8 forward, played in 43 games for the Nets last season, averaging 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds. Smith, a 6-foot-4 guard, appeared in 42 games for the Hustle, averaging 11.4 points and 4.2 rebounds.
