Thursday sports: History made, dramatic finish at state volleyball
Photo: Lake Cormorant players lift their Gold Ball state championship trophy after claiming the 6A title. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
When reviewing Thursday’s action for DeSoto County teams at the Mississippi High School Activities Association state volleyball team, history and drama come to mind
For defending state 6A champion, the hashtags of the season have been #MakeHistory and #RefuseToLose.
Danny Klein for Horn Lake Mayor.
There was little drama, but a lot of history for coach Christina Morgan’s Lady Gators in their straight set victory over South Half winner Hancock at Mississippi College in Clinton. Set scores were 25-21, 25-19, and 25-13.
For instance, Lake Cormorant became the second team in MHSAA history to win three straight state championships, with only Ingomar’s win in 2A earlier in the day putting them in the same rarified air. The Lady Gators have a 5A and an earlier 6A Gold Ball that is being joined by this year’s Gold Ball trophy.
Lake Cormorant finished the season with 39 wins, the most in school history, and their five losses tied the mark for fewest losses in the year. One of those losses was to the only DeSoto County school to beat them, when Northpoint Christian blanked the Lady Gators in straight sets. Northpoint is playing Saturday for a spot in the TSSAA Division II-A state tournament next week in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
The Lady Gators have not lost a single set to a 6A opponent in two seasons in that classification and coach Christina Morgan earlier this year gained her 400th career coaching victory.
Other Lake Cormorant highlights include Sofia Gonzalez being named Miss Volleyball in 6A for the second straight year and setting a career record for kills with a senior year still ahead. Gonzalez won the Most Valuable Player award in the 6A state finals.
Dallas White set a record for career assists, and Jania Rose set the career record for digs.
“I have a lot of seniors on this team so I think that they were on a mission to make the goal happen that we have had since the beginning,” Morgan said.
For the match Gonzalez made 12 kills and Ariana Woods and Ma’Kayla Hill added seven each. Morgan praised the trio for their front line play.
“I think that’s what makes this team so special and tough is because we have so many weapons,” she said.
At the service line, Gonzalez served four aces and Zamoria Nelson added three. Rose made 26 digs and Dallas White added 10. White added 24 assists.
Thursday’s win was also Lake Cormorant’s 19th straight victory this season.
“It’s so rewarding, you know, to get to do the journey with my players,” Morgan said. “Each team is different and it’s a different journey. But they believe in our program, and they believe in the legacy that they’re leaving behind.”
7A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: LEWISBURG 3, OCEAN SPRINGS 2
What Lake Cormorant lacked in drama, Lewisburg certainly made up for it in the Lady Patriots’ five-set comeback victory. The successful defense of last year’s 7A state championship became the sixth state title for the Lewisburg volleyball program. Set scores were 20-25, 20-25, 25-18, 25-20, 15-8.
The Lady Patriots played uncharacteristic volleyball in the first two sets, as Ocean Springs took the first two sets by identical 25-20 scores.
Lewisburg, after trailing early but recovered for a 13-11 lead on a kill from Jordis Newsom. The Greyhounds came back to take a 15-14 lead after a kill from Anna Hoffmeyer and never trailed after that.
Again in the second set, Lewisburg had early leads but nothing more than two points until Ocean Springs broke open a 12-11 lead. With Lucy Pepper serving, the Greyhounds took a 16-11 lead before Lewisburg could answer. The lead never grew to more than five, however, and despite another kill from Newsom, the Greyhounds won the set 25-20.
Lewisburg mounted their comeback in the third set, winning 25-18 and breaking open the set to a 17-12 lead. Ocean Springs mounted a comeback to 18-16 for the Lady Patriots but Lewisburg scored seven of the next nine points for the set win.
The fourth set started with a 4-0 Lewisburg lead with Baylee Burchyett serving but Ocean Springs cut the margin to 8-6. The lead went back-and-forth between one and four points for the Lady Patriots until Hallie Wright set down a pair of kills for the 25-20 victory.
The final set to 15 points went Lewisburg’s way with Ava Becker serving toward an 11-4 lead. It was Wright again helping finish off the Greyhounds with a block and kill before the final point settled the match for Lewisburg.
“We have a very tough group, a very close knit group, and they build their souls to win,” said coach Amy Hendrichovsky. “We train hard every day, we work hard every day. We prepare for these kinds of moments.”
In the match, Wright had 14 kills and six blocks, Ava Becker scored 16 kills, 32 digs, three blocks and two aces, Jordis Newsom had 16 kills and five digs, Clare Smith came up with 48 assists, 11 digs, three blocks and one ace, and Allie Kate Hall finished with 23 digs and three assists.
